2021 Torbreck The Forebear Shiraz

A Shiraz of formidable richness, intensity and power that displays wonderful old vine refinement.

The third release of this new flagship addition to the Torbreck portfolio, the Forebear is a single vineyard Shiraz that dates back to the 1850’s and pays homage to generations of Barossa vignerons. Maturation takes place in new French oak barriques for a period of 24 months.

Super saturated inky black colour with a very deep dark red black hue. Exhilarating aromatics of dark plum, liquorice and blackberry almost overwhelm the olfactory senses with notions of black cherry, subtlety smoked vanillin cedar, fennel, subtle leather, dark chocolate and peppered earth notes ensuing. Boasting formidable richness, intensity and power, the densely packed palate is inundated with a deluge of blackberry, liquorice, black cherry and dark plum fruit. Lavish and luxurious yet showing wonderful old vine refinement, notions of smoky vanillin cedar, fennel, earth, subtle dark chocolate and pepper are seamlessly interwoven through the back half. Velvety yet solidly built tannin structure with an enveloping finish of explosive force that’s seemingly endless.
Drink over the next 10-20 years.
Alc. 15%

Other Reviews...
The 2021 The Forebear hails from the Hillside vineyard, and the vines that service this wine are old, planted in 1850. While the first two vintages of this wine—2019 and 2020—were both hot, dry vintages and very low yielding. The 2021 season was mild, long and dry, and the yields were healthy, which was a blessing for growers in this region after years of tiny quantities. In the mouth, the wine is rocky and mineral, fresh and full—this is a wine with concentration off the charts. To put it in context with other world wines of similar density, this is driven by the age of the ancient vines and grown like this. These are ancient soils—the northern end of the Barossa is around 450 million years old, while the southern Barossa soils are up to a billion years old; and in many cases, they are supporting ancient vines, and the power and concentration of the fruit is at times difficult to understand without experiencing it in person. This vineyard is the single oldest site that Torbreck owns and sources from. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink 2026-2051.
99 points
Erin Larkin – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate