Ahmed’s dozen: a taste of Torbreck’s recent releases
The leading Stellenbosch producer is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the launch of a new Methode Cap Classique wine
Torbreck, The Steading Blanc, Barossa Valley 2020 89
£32.60 Berry Bros & Rudd, Honest Grapes,
Specialist Cellars
A green edge of fennel and almond to the nose and palate, along with honeydew melon, marshmallow, greengage and tart pineapple nuances and lemony acidity. A Marsanne-led blend (with 10% Viognier), barrel-fermented and aged, save for the 21% Roussanne component. Oak (14% new) lends structure and a vanilla accent, while eight months on lees gives a light texture. Sourced entirely from the Descendant vineyard. Drink 2021-2024 Alcohol 14%
Torbreck, RunRig, Barossa Valley 2018 99
£163 (ib) Berry Bros & Rudd, Farr Vintners,
Fine & Rare, Jeroboams
The must-try wine: Shiraz with a splash of Viognier. Tightly wound yet with cashmere tannins, soft kid-glove oak and cut-finger minerality. The anise, clove and cinnamonedged palate is unbelievably svelte, like melted chocolate. On day two, succulent, spicy cherry fruit emerges, with blackberry liqueur, roses and violets. Savoury cep undertones, graphite and cedar follow through on an endless finish. A stunning blend from six old vineyards, one planted in the 1850s. Drink 2025-2040 Alc 15%
Torbreck, The Laird, Barossa Valley 2016 98
£410 (ib) Berry Bros & Rudd, Nickolls & Perks
100% Shiraz. An immense, brooding seam of black fruits behind rich smokehouse oak and layered taffeta tannins. Flavours of melted chocolate, espresso, cep powder and graphite shroud iron, earth and garrigueedged black and purple berries, black olive, blackberry liqueur and sweet Agen prunes. Coaxed out with plenty of air, it is vital and violet-scented by day four. Beauty meets the beast: unique. Drink 2025-2038 Alc 15.5%
Torbreck, Descendant, Barossa Valley 2018 97
£81.88 Berry Bros & Rudd, Nickolls & Perks
Heritage cuttings (and second-fill barriques) from RunRig lend pedigree to this single-vineyard, co-fermented ShirazViognier (8%) from Marananga. Younger vines (planted 1994) give flamboyant notes of violets, luscious summer pudding fruit, cedar, anise, black pepper, stem ginger, apricot glaze and iron minerality. Silky milk chocolate texture, feathery tannins and cleansing acidity bring terrific finesse. Bravo! Drink 2021-2035 Alc 15%
Torbreck, The Factor, Barossa Valley 2018 96
£81.88 Berry Bros & Rudd, Bordeaux Index, Jeroboams
Chock full of flavour, this charismatic 100% Shiraz oozes Barossa from every pore. Fine tannins tightly frame black cherry-berry fruit, cep powder, cocoa and iron filings for a dry profile and compelling tension. In and among it all, notes of smoked meat, espresso, cedar, graphite, garrigue and violet creams snag the attention. Incisive acidity enhances length and drive. Drink 2024-2038 Alc 15% ▶
Torbreck, The Struie, Barossa 2019 95
£45.99 Berry Bros & Rudd, Majestic, Nickolls & Perks The best value: 100% Shiraz. The higher, tighter acid line, lifted violets and minerality speak of the Eden Valley component (8%) and the Barossa Valley’s elevated Western Ranges. Palate-staining crushed bilberry, blackberry, blackcurrant and raspberry with complex bitter chocolate, mocha, graphite and saline layers. Abundant but fine, sinewy tannins foreclose on the finish. Intense and still coming together, with great potential. Drink 2022-2035 Alc 15%
Torbreck, Hillside Grenache, Barossa Valley 2019 94
£66.48 Berry Bros & Rudd
The hidden gem. A cuvée first made in 2016, the Hillside vineyard’s southerly Lyndoch location and 1949 vines shower the creamy red berry and firmer cherrystone palate with violets, potpourri and spice – varietal characters that shine, thanks to ageing in 2,400-litre French oak foudres. Five spice, white pepper and sandalwood notes build on a tapering, tangy ironstone finish, with chalky tannins and harmonious acidity. Drink 2021-2030 Alc 15%
Torbreck, Les Amis, Barossa Valley 2018 94
£100 (ib) Berry Bros & Rudd
Dry-grown Slade Vineyard’s rare smallcluster, small-berry clone provides the platform for ageing, hence the wine was matured in 40% new French barriques.
Ripe but dense tannin layers, sarsaparilla oak spice, leather and warming kirsch notes initially dominate the concentrated seam of dried raspberry, fresh blueberry and strawberry fruit. With time and air it opens to Turkish delight, chocolate, liquorice, dried herbs and baking spice nuances. Needs time. Drink 2023-2033 Alc 15%
Torbreck, The Steading, Barossa Valley 2019 94
£38.50 Berry Bros & Rudd, Hedonism
Ripe but sinewy tannins mesh beautifully with dark berry and black olive flavours on the chamois-smooth palate. There are riffs of smoked meat, ink, lavender and Turkish delight, with iron-filing minerality to the lengthy finish. Sourced from vines ranging from 40 to 150 years old in Gomersal, Lyndoch, Greenock, Moppa, Marananga, Seppeltsfield and Ebenezer, this polished blend of 69% Grenache, 21% Shiraz and 19% Mataro was aged for 20 months on fine lees in large 4,500-litre French oak foudres.
Drink 2021-2030 Alc 15%
Torbreck, The Pict, Barossa Valley 2018 93
£42 (ib) Berry Bros & Rudd, Bordeaux Index
Dense, sun-kissed Mataro (Mourvèdre) sourced from a northern Greenock vineyard planted exclusively to the variety in the 1920s. There’s a tang of blood, black olive, dark chocolate and warm earth to this wine’s broad, rich palate of garrigue-edged Agen prunes and berry fruit. On day two, the sinewy, spicy tannins assert themselves, lending peppery back palate resonance – balance for the warmth and generosity.
Drink 2023-2033 Alc 15%
Torbreck, Cuvée Juveniles, Barossa Valley 2019 92
£20.95 Berry Bros & Rudd, Grand Cru Co, Loki Wines, Specialist Cellars
Unoaked, medium-bodied yet luscious, this enticing spice-scented blend of Grenache with 23% Mataro and 5% Shiraz combines juicy red cherry and plum fruit with raspberry and blackberry, crunchier pomegranate and a lick of pomegranate syrup. Mostly sourced from old, unirrigated vineyards, meaty undertones and sandalwood add savoury nuance. Deftly carries its alcohol, finishing clean and surprisingly fresh. Drink 2021-2026 Alc 15%
Torbreck, Woodcutter’s Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2019 91
£22.99 Majestic, North & South, The Wine Society, Wine Direct
The weather-impacted and low-yielding 2019 vintage of small berries with dark, thick skins lends intensity and structure to the palate of blood plum and vibrant raspberry and blackberry. Maturation over 12 months in well-seasoned French oak hogsheads and foudres makes for a vivacious expression, showing tapering, spicy tannins and a milk-chocolate finish. Classic Torbreck sourcing from young vines in Marananga, Greenock, Seppeltsfield, Gomersal, Moppa, Lyndoch and Ebenezer vineyards. Drink 2021-2029 Alc 14.5% D
Journey’s End Vineyards, nestled among the Schapenberg hills in the Stellenbosch winelands, has always been committed to sustainably and ethically producing excellent wines for all occasions.
Journey’s End is delighted to release its first-ever sparkling wine to mark the 50th anniversary of South Africa’s Methode Cap Classique (MCC), the country’s premium traditional-method sparkling wine. Journey’s End MCC NV Brut Reserve also celebrates the winery’s own 25th anniversary.
The award-winning vineyard has worked closely with the Grier family of Villiera
Wines, also in Stellenbosch, in selecting their NV Brut Reserve cuvée, which is made using the same varieties and method used to make Champagne.
The Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes are grown in cooler-climate vineyards in the Stellenbosch appellation and hand-picked early in the season. Whole bunches are pressed very gently in a pneumatic press according to a specialised Champagne pressing programme.
Only the finest cuvées are used in the blend, and yeast and sugar are then added for a secondary fermentation in the bottle which takes six weeks, producing light and magical bubbles. The wine is then matured in contact with the yeast lees for approximately 18 months, resulting in a fresh sparkling wine with a racy zestiness, crisp acidity and hints of delicate fruits. Managing director Rollo Gabb says, ‘We are incredibly excited to launch our very first MCC this year.
It’s a time when South African sparkling wines are gaining momentum and being recognised as delicious and premium alternatives to the more widely known Champagne, Prosecco and Cava, and we cannot wait to share ours.’
Journey’s End is also proud to have provided more than 1,000,000 meals to the local communities in the Helderberg region through the Journey’s End Foundation and its network of soup kitchens. The Foundation was started in August 2020, largely in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was recognised for its work when it was named Ethical Company of the Year 2020 by a drinks industry Green Award.
Earlier this year, Journey’s End became a WWF Conservation Champion for its continuing commitment to sustainable farming and conservation of native fauna and flora. In September, Journey’s End announced that it had become a founding member of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable, a coalition whose aim is to create a global definition of sustainability for the wine industry.
Raise a glass of MCC, toast the festive season ahead and drink well, knowing Journey’s End is truly a force for good.
For more information or enquiries, please visit journeysend.co.za. @JourneysEndWines