Winemaker Notes
Fragrant aromas of white flowers, summer stone fruits, kaffir lime and guava, balanced with underlying hints of bees wax and spices such as turmeric and ginger. Medium bodied with mid palate texture to the opulent fruit, and a lively line of acid along a long, spicy and mineral strewn finish.
The Steading Blanc is an exotic wine that is perfectly matched with anything from the sea.
Blend: 50% Roussanne, 43% Marsanne, 7% Viognier
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
My god. Stylistically, there is a chasm between the reds and whites at Torbreck. The 2021 The Steading Blanc is pristine (the reds are also pristine; however, the abundant tannin and concentrated fruit require different descriptors), with moderate alcohol and bright acidity laced throughout. Salted pineapple lumps, honeydew melon, white flowers, summer apricot and green apples define the fruit in the mouth, while the wine is shaped by fine but firm phenolics through the finish. This is not hedonistic but textbook. Lovely.
Rating: 92+
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
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.