TORBRECK

Torbreck Vintners is named after a Scottish forest where its founder worked as a lumber- jack. The roots go back to 1992 when Dave Powell, who was then working at Rockford, began to discover and clean up a few sections of dry-grown old vines. Near lifeless, he nurtured them back to health and was rewarded with small parcels of fruit that he made into wine. Dave was able to secure a contract for the supply of grapes from a run-down but ancient Shiraz vineyard. He managed to raise enough money to share-farm the vine- yard, a practice which involves paying the owner a percentage of the market rate for his grapes in return for totally managing the vineyard. This share-farming principle enabled Torbreck to use fruit from the very best vineyards in the Barossa Valley, which is home to some of the most precious old vines in the world. ‘Dave Powell, unquestionably one of the world’s finest wine producers, has an uncanny ability to discover old vine Barossa vineyards, and then secure long term contracts for their fruit.’ The Wine Advocate Issue #161 (October 2005) Robert Parker. The Torbreck endeavour is based around the classic Barossa Valley of Shiraz, and Mataro, and a love for the wines of France’s Rhone Valley. Dave loves the intense, rich, Rhone-like flavors that come from old- vines and the fact that Shiraz and Grenache are the mainstay red grapes of the Northern and Southern Rhone often draws comparison. Torbreck doesn’t only make red wines though, they have , and planted on estate winery block which is blended to make a white wine for the last 2 years. Low yielding, old and dry grown Barossa Valley vineyards are the cornerstone of Torbreck Vintners where traditional, manual winemaking methods and minimal intervention are combined to produce a variety of wines each year. The growers they work with have been selected for their unique vineyard sites and spartan approach to viticulture - Torbreck wines are con- centrated in the vineyards, not in the winery. 2008 Woodcutter Semillon - 12/750ml Net $144 Semillon has always found a natural home in the Barossa. It was one of the early white wine grape varieties planted by the first settlers around 160 years ago and so the Barossa is blessed with a heritage of old, low yielding Semillon vineyards. At Torbreck, Semillon is fermented in both stainless steel and seasoned French barriques. Torbreck Woodcutters Semillon is not un- like the white wines found in the central and southern regions of France. This is due largely to the use of the Madeira (more robust and pink skinned) clone of Semillon, grown widely in the Barossa Valley.

2008 Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne - 6/750ml Net $162 60% Viognier, 20% Marsanne & 20% Roussanne. A luscious blend of rich, ripe barrel fer- mented Marsanne and Viognier, blended with a more austere stainless steel fermented Rous- sanne. On the nose, the wine exhibits typical Viognier aromatics of apricot, orange blossom and honeysuckle with lots of savoury notes from the Marsanne, balanced by mineral flinty characteristics from the Roussanne. The grapes are picked reasonably ripe, hence the wine has soft acidity, but a rich opulent palate. Very much a wine to be consumed with food, anything from the sea.

Cream Wine Company 118 N. Peoria Chicago IL o: 312.421.1900 f: 312. 421 1977 [email protected] TORBRECK Barossa Valley

2008 The Bothie (Muscat Blanc a petits grains - Frontignac) - 12/375ml Net $144 Equally as enjoyable as an aperitif as it is with dessert, the 2008 Bothie displays beautifully fragrant aromas of fresh pine/lime, melon and lychee accompanied by extraordinary floral notes. The subtle, clean flavours of lemon sorbet, lemon tart and orange rind balance perfectly with the residual sugar creating a full, lush, round palate. ‘On a high- land trail the place to stop and rest when weary is known as a Bothie. This sweeter styled wine exhibits lifted fruit aromatics characteristic of its origin’ David Powell

2008 Cuvee Juveniles (Grenache// Mataro) - 12/750ml Net $180 ‘The owner of Juveniles wine bar in Paris, Tim Johnston, suggested that I make a wine for him. I decided that it should be a blend of Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz from our ancient vines. I asked Tim’s daughter Carolyn, to design a separate label for this cuvee, as her paintings adorn the walls of her fathers wine bar’ David Powell Bold and seductive, this youthful, unoaked blend encapsulates all that is great in natural, pure, unseasoned wine. Its fragrance, intensity and energy are all reminiscent of freshly fermenting must, with ripe juicy flavours of blackberry, spiced cherries, minerals and Asian spices wrapped around a skeleton of fresh acidity and fine mineral laden tannins. Soft and sensuous, this wine is frightfully drinkable already, but as with its predecessors will greatly recompense those who choose to give it a few years in the cellar.

2007 Woodcutter Shiraz - 12/750ml Net $180 The name Woodcutter’s stems from David Powell’s several years spent working the Scottish Highlands as a lum- berjack in the Torbreck forest. This wine reflects the up & coming Shiraz vineyards of the Barossa, rather than the battle hardened old warriors which make up the heart and soul of our other cuvee’s. Dense, rich and opulent, this wine combines great fruit purity with texture, complexity and finesse. Whilst offering immense pleasure in its youth, the 2007 Woodcutter’s Shiraz will no doubt develop into an impressive wine with a few years in the cellar. Like all wines in the Torbreck stable, the fruit is sourced from hand harvested and hand tended plots throughout the North Western Barossa Valley. It is fermented in our cement, wooden and inox vats for 6-7 days and then basket pressed to well seasoned hogsheads and French oak foudres for for 12 months. It is bottled without the use of ei- ther fining or filtration. As with all our wines, the 2007 Woodcutter’s Shiraz is a true reflection of the vintage, with the wine possessing great structure, length, and balance. It exhibits a more savoury character with the fruit being somewhat ‘secondary’, not quite as fruit driven as in recent vintages.

2006 The Steading (Grenache/Syrah/Mataro) - 12/750ml Net $280 The 2006 Steading is composed from the traditional Barossa cultivars of Grenache, Shiraz & Mataro. It has long been David Powell’s favorite wine within the Torbreck stable because of the old, gnarled ‘bush vines’that produce its core. Deep ruby with flickers of violet, its delicate aromas of truffle, five spice and spring flowers are supported by a rich core of framboise, licorice, saddle leather and Provencal herbs. Very ‘Burgundian’in style, the palate is elegant and pure with subtle notes of crushed cherries, earth and cedar all neatly wound by a taught spine of acidity and ripe supple tannins.

Cream Wine Company 118 N. Peoria Chicago IL o: 312.421.1900 f: 312. 421 1977 [email protected] TORBRECK Barossa Valley

2006 Amis (Grenache) - 6/750ml Net $740 This cuvee is made from 100 % Single Vineyard Grenache. This wine has matured for 18 months in new French barriques. Les Amis, which means “the friends” in French, was founded by four partners- Stockbroker, Desmond Lim; Gynaecologist, Dr Chong Yap Seng; Executive Chef Justin Quek and former Sommelier, Ignatius Chan. The partners wanted to bring the finer aspects of French cuisine to Singapore, to be served in a setting that offers the ultimate dining experience, so they created Les Amis Restaurant, which opened on 15th March 1994. Through the shared passion and experience in wine appreciation of the partners, Les Amis’ wine list soon gained international recognition. Since 1997, the flagship restaurant’s wine list has been a consistent recipient of the Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award”, possibly one of the highest levels of achievements in the F&B industry. In 2001 Ignatius Chan requested David Powell to create a single vineyard wine compatible with Les Amis’ French styled cuisine. The result was this 100% single vineyard Grenache from 129 year old bush vines in Greenock, aged entirely in new French oak barriques. “I was honoured when my good friend Ignatius Chan, formerly of the Les Amis group, asked me to make a wine for the renowned Singapore establishment in 2001. This unique parcel of Grenache, sourced from a single, old vineyard (128 years) in the hamlet of Greenock, has successfully endured eighteen months maturation in new French barriques.” David Powell

2006 The Pict (Mataro/Mourvedre) - 6/750ml Net $600 Made from 100% Mataro, this wine has aged for 24 months in new French oak barriques. The Picts, a tribe of fierce warriors, were the first people to inhabit Scotland. This wine is made from Mataro (100%) and, being one of the founding varieties planted in the Barossa, has been named in their honor. It is sourced solely from a single plot of ancient vines near the hamlet of Greenock. A truly rich and extravagant wine, enough to satiate a Pictish warrior. “I have always professed to a strong influence from French wine styles and varietals in my approach to wine making, and the 2004 Pict fervently displays these influences. The wild, rugged and earthen aromas typically associated with the Bandol region of France provide the basis for this powerful single vineyard Mataro. Fresh soil, tree bark, cassis and leather dominate the nose with hints of spice and chocolate coming through. The palate is elegantly rich and earthy and already beautifully balanced. The tannins are ripe and profound and the 2004 Pict is expected to flourish and develop for many years.” David Powell

2006 The Struie (Shiraz) - 6/750ml Net $228 “The Struie” is named after a hill that overlooks the Glenmorangie whisky distillers. The first of the old-vine shiraz and sourced from several elevated sites throughout the Barossa & Eden Valleys the Struie reflects the cooler side of the region and showcases the subtle nuances that are gained from hillside viticulture. Sourced from several elevated sites throughout the Barossa & Eden Valleys the Struie reflects the cooler side of the region and showcases the subtle nuances that are gained from hillside viticulture. Possessing a dense and completely opaque hue the 2006 Struie has a wonderfully healthy sheen and great viscosity. The initial aromas of black raspberries, crème de cacao and star anise yield to a fragrant core of slow roasted meats, scorched earth and olive tapenade. Full bodied and tightly structured the palate shows phenomenal ripeness and brooding richness along with a razor-like spine of beautifully integrated acidity and mountain like tannin that will greatly reward those with the patience to cellar it.

Cream Wine Company 118 N. Peoria Chicago IL o: 312.421.1900 f: 312. 421 1977 [email protected] TORBRECK Barossa Valley

2006 The Factor (Shiraz) - 6/750ml Net $432 ‘Our homage to the great old Shiraz vines of the Barossa Valley and the growers who painstakingly tend and nur- ture them each year. Delicate scents of wild blackberries, pipe smoke and pepper are supported by a dark core of espresso roast, black currants and coal. The palate offers tremendous texture and combines great richness with subtle notes of olive tapenade, saddle leather and minerals. Brooding and densely packed, this majestic wine has the constitution to cellar for many years where it will slowly unravel its extravagant riches. The manager on a highland estate is referred to as The Factor. Having spent two years in predominantly older oak and 30% new oak, this wine manages to express true Barossa Shiraz character’ David Powell

2006 Descendant (Shiraz/Viognier) - 6/750ml Net $432 The 2006 Descendant is another impressive release of this wine, the color making that immediately apparent; com- pletely black/purple with healthy, vibrant magenta hues. A pure, wild, powerful nose of blueberry cobbler and tar is complimented by a gentle floral lift of lavender and violets. Full-bodied with great concentration, silky tannins and perfectly judged extract, this vigorous and suave young wine has a long, long future ahead of it. ‘From the cuttings taken from old vines used to plant the vineyard, and the Viognier skins the Shiraz was crushed onto, to the barrels it was matured in, this wine is directly descended from RunRig’ David Powell

2005 Run Rig (Shiraz/ Viognier) - 6/ 750ml Net $840 The RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie. The 2005 RunRig, although wonder- fully aromatic like its predecessors, is a wine that exhibits so much power and latent richness that it could easily be mistaken for the hugely concentrated wines sourced from the sun drenched hill of Hermitage (the historic home of Syrah and some of the worlds most powerful and longest living wines). Possessing a dense, saturated, almost ink like hue, the aromas of black raspberries, crème de cassis, smoke, graphite and melted tar soar from the glass. Full- bodied with great intensity, amazing freshness and extraordinary concentration, the multi-layered palate displays the fruit purity that only the most fastidious farming can achieve. Hints of homemade marmalade, scorched earth and- slow roasted meats later emerge with time in the glass. Each of the eight parcels of fruit were gently de-stemmed into both wooden & concrete open top fermenters where they were carefully nurtured for 6-7 days on skins. After basket pressing the wine was run directly into both new and old French barriques where they spent 30 months with minimal racking. During the final ‘assemblage’a small addition (3.5%) of estate grown Viognier was added and the wine was later bottled without the use of filtration or fining.

Cream Wine Company 118 N. Peoria Chicago IL o: 312.421.1900 f: 312. 421 1977 [email protected]