Winemaker Notes
Blend: 53% Grenache, 28% Shiraz, 19% Mataro
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich and decadent red with roasted meat and plums with an earthy undertone. Bark. Some cooked fruit. Full and pepper at the finish. Soft and round tannined. Juicy. 53% grenache, 28% shiraz and 19% mataro. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Ripe, round and supple, Torbreck's 2018 The Steading is foudre aged, so the oak signature is minimal. Mixed cherries and berries abound, mixing in hints of caramel, plus more savory notes of dried herbs, espresso and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it's soft and easy to drink, but it has enough concentration to drink well for several more years.
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend colors neatly within Torbreck's lines of polish, ripeness and class. Plush plum and raspberry fruit are layered with notes of baking spice, flowers, warm stones and iodine. The fruit glides over the tongue while savory, herbal elements linger on the finish. It's a harmonious wine to last until 2028 at least.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.