Winemaker Notes
2010 will undoubtedly be chronicled as one of the great Barossa Valley Vintages. Good winter rains set the dry grown Laird vineyard up for consistent bud burst while spring rains provided perfect growing conditions. A cooler than average summer followed to create near perfect circumstances for crafting Barossa Valley Shiraz. The winemaking in these great vintages is uncomplicated and effortless and the quality of the Laird fruit shines in the bottle. The fruit was harvested in perfect condition on the 17th of March and remained on skins for just one week. The resulting wine shows all the poise and elegance of previous Laird’s, but with another dimension that will surely place it amongst the greatest examples of Barossa Valley Shiraz.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep purple-black colored, Torbreck's 2010 The Laird offers an extraordinary perfume of Chinese five spice, sandalwood, rose petals, espresso and licorice over a core of prunes, dried mulberries and blackcurrant preserves plus a touch of cloves. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and packed with dried black fruits and exotic spice flavors, the generous fruit is structured with velvety tannins and just enough freshness. It finishes with commendable persistence. Rating: 98+
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Wine Spectator
Broad and expressive, with juicy plum, rhubarb and mineral flavors on a velvety frame, gliding easily over refined tannins into a long and compelling finish. Has tremendous presence, depth and promise.
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Wine & Spirits
Malcolm Seppelt dry-farms his Gnadenfrei Vineyard in Marananga, producing small, concentrated shiraz berries off vines planted in 1958; it’s five acres on clay-loam over red clay and limestone. Torbreck has been making wine from this vineyard since 2003, first under contract for Malcolm Seppelt, and, since 2005, purchasing grapes to produce this wine. It ages in new barrels with double-thick staves of Tronçais oak, creating a grand shiraz with the complexity and concentration you might expect from old vines. Grape-skin tannins add to the dimpled impression of the fruit, while deeper, fresher notes of blackberries last long into the finish. Scents of tar and tobacco explode out of the power of the alcohol, but the wine doesn’t go boozy. Instead, it’s succulent and intense.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.