2004 Torbreck The Factor Shiraz

David Powell founded Torbreck Vintners in 1994. The story dates back two years earlier when Powell, whilst working at Rockford in the Barossa, stumbled across some remnants of an old vine, dry grown Shiraz vineyard. His fortunes blossomed when he secured supply contracts for these ancient vines on a share farming basis. This involved paying the owner a percentage of the market rate for his grapes in return for managing his vines. Three tonnes of grapes were crushed and fermented in his shed in 1995 and so the concept of Torbreck Vintners was born. Powell named his wine Torbreck, after a forest in the Scottish Highlands where he worked as a lumberjack.

A superbly constructed wine.

Totally opaque black purple colour, with black purple hue with excellent cling to the walls of the glass. Superb nose of blood plum, vanilla, confectionary and violet followed by a cherry ripe end note. The palate flavours are mouthfilling, with very distinct black pepper over blood plum, cherry and liquorice allsorts. Fine grained, perfectly balanced tannins. Very long aftertaste of confectionary, cherry, chocolate and blood plum, with strong black pepper characteristics persisting.
Cellar 3-4 years (2009-2010)
Alc/Vol: 14.5%

Other Reviews…
Made from 100% Shiraz that spent 24 months in French oak (30% new), the exuberant, flamboyant 2004 The Factor offers up gorgeously pure blueberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with smoke, bacon fat, camphor, and graphite. Silky smooth, and, as David Powell says, “the most Barossa-like” of all his wines, it represents Powell’s rendition of a Cote Rotie.
97 points
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006)