Torbreck Struie Barossa Valley 2005

A textbook Shiraz, with all its components in the right places: Therersquo;s big plum fruit on the palate backed by oak and earth: aromas are of pine and wheat. Aged in 30% new French oak.

A new offering, the 2001 The Struie is 100% Shiraz made from equal parts old vine Eden Valley and Barossa Valley fruit. It was aged 18 months in French wood of which 20% was new. A firmly-structured, chocolatey, earthy effort, it displays large-scaled flavors, good acidity, and high levels of firm tannin along with mouthfilling extract and substance. It is a big wine with a cooler climate character than Torbreckrsquo;s other offerings. Give it 2ndash;3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 12ndash;15.

Smooth and round, with a distinct floral cast to the blueberry and plum flavors, finishing with a red pepper note and deft balance. The flavors are focused and juicy. Shiraz. Drink now through 2013.

Torbreckrsquo;s wines continue to get better and better, combining the old vine ripe fruit of Barossa with a European sensitivity to elegance and balance. The 2003 The Struie is a 4,000 case blend of cooler climate, high altitude Eden Valley fruit combined with small amounts of Barossa grapes. Aged 8 months in wood (20% new), it is a deep, chewy, fleshy effort displaying floral, peppery, incense notes intermixed with white chocolate, blackberry, and black currant characteristics. Consume it over the next 7ndash;8 years.

The 2004 The Struie is 100% Shiraz from 40 to 60-year-old and 120-year-old vineyards. Half of the fruit is from the Eden Valley and half from the Barossa, and the wine spends 18 months in French oak (20% new). An exotic bouquet of blackberries and other sweet fruits is followed by a full-bodied, powerful, rich red with great purity as well as focus, a laser-like precision, huge intensity, and a blockbuster finish that lasts nearly a minute. It will be even better with 2ndash;3 more years of bottle age, and should last for two decades.

This has a distinctly spicy, savory, meaty quality to its aromas, possibly due to the one-third of the blend that comes from Eden Valley. Those elements impart great complexity to this wine, building on its core of blackberry fruit. Like all the Torbreck wines, this shows a rich, layered texture and a long finish. Drink nowndash;2020.

Bright ruby. Deep, spicy blackberry and cassis aromas, along with a range of incense, floral and mineral accents. Sexy licorice candy and cola notes emerge with air and are repeated on the palate. Sweet dark berry flavors are nicely firmed by youthful tannins and brisk acids, with a late-arriving cinnamon note adding interest. The impressively pure, long finish is suave, silky and fresh.