Torbreck The Struie Shiraz 2021
Torbreck Vintners · Torbreck Vintners, Marananga, Barossa Valley, South Australia
Torbreck's The Struie is the Barossa wine that converts sceptics — people who dismiss Australian Shiraz as jammy and overblown take one sip of this and reassess everything. Powell's commitment to old vine fruit and French oak restraint produces a wine with both the power of the Barossa and the elegance of a great Southern Rhône. It over-delivers at its price point and ages beautifully for a decade. Decant for 45 minutes before serving and watch it open up in layers.
Nose
Intensely aromatic — dark plum, blackberry, cracked pepper, smoked meat, dark chocolate, dried herbs, a hint of violet
Palate
Full-bodied and structured — black cherry, dark plum, chocolate, cedar, black pepper, savoury herbs, fine-grained tannins that carry beautifully
Finish
Long and persistent with dark fruit, pepper, chocolate, and a beautiful mineral spine
- Varietal
- Shiraz
- Blend
- 100% Shiraz (Barossa Valley and Eden Valley fruit)
- Vineyards
- Old vine dry-farmed Barossa Valley sites; Eden Valley parcels for freshness and acidity
Cocktail Suggestion
Cocktail — The Barossa Spritz: 3 oz Torbreck The Struie · 1 oz Aperol · 2 oz chilled soda water · large orange wedge. Build in a large wine glass over ice, stir once gently.
Food Pairing
Pair with: Braised lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic — the pepper and dark fruit in the wine echo every herb and fat note in the lamb.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Hayman's Royal Dock Navy Strength Gin
Hayman's
Navy strength gins were originally proofed to ensure gunpowder would still ignite if rum rations spilled on it — a practical origin that yields an expressive spirit. Hayman's Royal Dock is a textbook example of how higher ABV amplifies botanical clarity. In cocktails, it refuses to be diluted into anonymity.
Ron Diplomático Mantuano
Diplomático
Diplomático's Mantuano is often overshadowed by its Reserva Exclusiva sibling, but it stands on its own as a well-crafted daily sipper. The Venezuelan tropical climate accelerates the angel's share and concentrates flavors. At its price point, it punches well into cocktail territory while remaining pleasant neat.
Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year Old
Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill's bonded expression punches well above its price. The seven years in Bardstown's climate-stressed rickhouses push real complexity into the wood interaction. This is a workhorse bourbon with a scholar's depth.
El Tesoro Añejo
El Tesoro
El Tesoro's tahona-crushed, oven-roasted production methods are traditional to the bone, and the two-year rest in ex-bourbon barrels at altitude in Arandas lets the highland terroir breathe through. This is añejo tequila that respects the agave rather than burying it under oak.
Bodegas R. López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Reserva 2012
López de Heredia
López de Heredia releases wines only when they decide they're ready, and Viña Bosconia Reserva 2012 has spent years in the bodega's famous underground caves — a network of ancient cellars with stable temperatures and high humidity. The result is a wine that feels like it has already done the aging work for you. Open it and it's ready to converse.
Domaine du Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2020
Domaine du Comte Armand
Clos des Epeneaux is a monopole — one of Burgundy's rarest single-owner premier cru vineyards. The 2020 vintage shows the warmth of the year but retains the tension and structure that make Pommard compelling. This is Pinot Noir shaped by a very specific piece of earth, and it shows.
Penfolds Grange 2018
Penfolds
Grange is Australia's most celebrated blend, and the 2018 vintage reminds us why. Max Schubert's original vision — multi-vineyard, multi-region Shiraz with a small percentage of Cabernet — lives on in a wine where blending is not just technique but philosophy. Each parcel contributes something the others lack, and the result is greater than any single vineyard could deliver.
Domaine de Trévallon Rouge 2019
Domaine de Trévallon
Eloi Dürrbach's roughly equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah has been one of Provence's most singular wines for four decades. The 2019 vintage captures the estate's signature tension between power and elegance — a wine that demands cellaring but already reveals its architecture to patient tasters.