Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesLots of blue fruits, graphite and black pepper here. Hints of crushed stone. Fresh and vivid. Fine tannins run through the center palate and set it up nicely. Medium body. Creamy finish. 65% grenache, 20% shiraz, and 15% mataro. Partial whole bunch. Drink or hold.
The Steading is a mainstay in the Australian market—it has been loved for years for its consistency and reliability, and the 2020 The Steading here today shows us exactly what we want. This is ripe and full-bodied (15% alcohol), however as is usual for Torbreck, the wine is executed in a sophisticated and seamless manner. There are notes of campfire, singed eucalyptus, salted mulberry, blueberry compote, black cat licorice, pink peppercorns and dark cocoa. All kinds of good.
A supple, sturdy wine with balance and finesse, Steading opens with rich aromas of chocolate and plum underpinned by licorice, savory spice and warm tarmac. The plush palate is silky textured with fine, well-integrated tannins and length. There’s a lovely play between tangy fruit and savory spice. Drink now
Dense and succulent, showing bittersweet chocolate, plum, huckleberry, wild raspberry and black pepper, with a hint of plumeria providing a fragrant note on the long, generous finish. Reveals plump tannins, which have some traction on the finish. Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro. Drink now.
Torbreck, founded in 1994 by David Powell, is situated at Marananga on the western ridge of the Barossa. Since that time he has produced some of the world's finest 'Rhone varietal' wines, exclusively from Barossa fruit; this has been acknowledged by the wine press in Europe, America and Australia. The overwhelming majority of his vines are dry-grown, nearly all are 80 - 125 years old and are tended and harvested by hand.
The wines have an extraordinary combination of power, intesity, complexity and great finesse, and bearing in mind the age of the vines and the laughably low yields, no Torbreck wine could ever be accused of being heavy, cloying or over-extracted.
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.
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.