Torbreck Factor Shiraz Barossa 2005

The 2005 The Factor is 100% Shiraz sourced from dry grown vines from six sub-regions of Barossa. It spent 24 months in 30% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it delivers an expressive bouquet of pepper, smoke, espresso roast, blackberry, blueberry, and licorice. Full-bodied and voluptuous on the palate, nuances of saddle leather and mineral emerge to complement the layers of spicy blue and black fruits. The wine is beautifully integrated with enough well-concealed tannin to keep this wine evolving for a decade. The pure finish lingers for 60+ seconds to complete the experience of a totally read more...hedonistic turn-on. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 97 Points    (hide)

This shiraz is everything you're looking for in a full-bodied red wine. It's aged in wood (40% new) for 2 years before bottling. This adds a spicy element on the palate that's a perfect match with the near "confit" like, ripe fruit concentration.

97 pts from The Wine Advocate! - The 2005 The Factor is 100% Shiraz sourced from dry grown vines from six sub-regions of Barossa. It spent 24 months in 30% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it delivers an expressive bouquet of pepper, smoke, espresso roast, blackberry, blueberry, and licorice. Full-bodied and voluptuous on the palate, nuances of saddle leather and mineral emerge to complement the layers of spicy blue and black fruits. The wine is beautifully integrated with enough well-concealed tannin to keep this wine evolving for a decade. The pure finish lingers for 60+ seconds to read more...complete the experience of a totally hedonistic turn-on. - Torbreck, under the leadership of owner/winemaker David Powell, remains a Barossa Valley benchmark as well as one of the worldÆs greatest wine estates. The top cuvees are limited production and expensive but there are also some outstanding values in the portfolio. With regard to the current vintages for the Barossa red wines, David Powell states - 2004 is more savory while 2005 has more purity and definition. 2004 is more classic, 2005 will take longer to come around. - 92 pts from Wine Spectator! - Rich and very ripe, this is distinctive for its black cherry, blackberry and a wide range of spices that make it more interesting. A cardamom note lingers on the long, expressive finish. The tannins are well-integrated. Shiraz. Best from 2010 through 2020. 1,200 cases made. ûHS OCT 2008 ISSUE -    (hide)

August 2009

document.getElementById("NoProductImage").innerHTML = ""; Only 6 bottles or less available. Wine Advocate 97 points"The 2005 The Factor is 100% Shiraz sourced from dry grown vines from six sub-regions of Barossa. It spent 24 months in 30% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored- it delivers an expressive bouquet of pepper- smoke- espresso roast- blackberry- blueberry- and licorice. Full-bodied and voluptuous on the palate- nuances of saddle leather and mineral emerge to complement the layers of spicy blue and black fruits. The wine is beautifully integrated read more...with enough well-concealed tannin to keep this wine evolving for a decade. The pure finish lingers for 60+ seconds to complete the experience of a totally hedonistic turn-on." Wine Advocate # 173 Oct 2007- www.wineadvocate.comCampbell Mattinson 94 points!"It's good. It's enormously drinkable it's decadent- rich- like liquid licorice- like sugar toasted on a bed of mashed blackberries. There are flavours of twigs and camphor and bright blossomy raspberries - there's just a lot of flavour- full stop. If you want to drink a luxurious wine tonight- and you have a lot of dosh to spare: this is guaranteed to deliver. All depends on what you're into. Nice tannin structure too it has to be said. Drink: 2007-2015."Campbell Mattinson- WineFront.Torbreck Torbreck - Low yielding- old and dry grown Barossa Valley vines are the cornerstone of Torbreck vitners where traditional- manual winemaking methods and minimal intervention are combined to produce a variety of wines each year. The growers we work with have been selected for their unique vineyard sites and spartan aproach to viticulture - Torbreck wines are conentrated in the vineyards- not in the winery.The FactorThis wine is composed entirely of shiraz- harvested from the oldest- most revered vineyards in the Barossa Valley. It is made in the traditional Torbreck manner. All parcels are vinified separately. Fermentation takes place in small open vats and 'pumped over' twice daily. The wine is then pressed in basket presses and transferred into French oak barriques and hogsheads where malolactic takes place. The wine is then racked through a primitive system relying solely on gravity. The Factor is usually bottled after 24 months maturation- dependant on the vintage.The individual components of this wine combined-produce an average yield of 1 to 1.5 tones per acre in an area where 6 tonnes per acre is more common. This is world class in every way. 'The manager on a highland estate is referred to as The Factor. Having spent two years in predominantly older oak- this wine manages to express true Barossa Shiraz character'. David Powell    (hide)

October 2008

Rating: 97/100 - As reviewed by Wine Advocate on 10/07

Rating: 92-94 - As reviewed by Wine Spectator