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Stella Bella have won resounding critical acclaim and a reputation for producing artisanly crafted Margaret River wines of great expression, personality and quality. Stella Bella have established an almost peerless reputation after receiving numerous accolades at significant competitions, including coveted Gold and Mission Hill Trophy at the London International, the only southern hemisphere Chardonnay to win such a prestigious award.. Stella Bella» |
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Scotsdale was acquired by Howard Park as a pastoral property, specifically chosen and planted to make a single vineyard wine. Shiraz is harvested according to flavour with little regard for analytical data. Howard Park» |
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Rob Sticks Dolan's career in the wine industry began under the tutelage of Greg Clayfield and John Vickery at the enduring Rouge Homme. Dolan established his affinity for Pinot Noir on the international stage when he claimed the prestigious Bouchard-Finlayson Trophy for Champion Pinot Noir at the prestigious London International. Sticks» |
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The marvelous S1 block is a sheltered, relatively warm site within the splendid vistas of Seaview Vineyard, on a north facing plateau at 160m above sea level, refreshed by maritime winds that blow in from the Cludy Bay coast. Fruit is crushed and destemmed, chilled and gently pressed, the clearest juices are racked off for a long, cool ferment to capture the full opulence of S1 vineyard grapes on the vine. Yealands Estate» |
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This enduring flagship wine can boast twenty trophys and over seventy gold medals throughout its illustrious history. Penley Steyning captures and enhances the excellence in first growth Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, highlighted by rich berry tones, superior length and layers of intense flavour, a wine which achieves perfect harmony between massive intensity of fruit, mouth filling grape tannins and elegant acids. Penley Estate» |
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From parcels of Pinot Noir, planted to the foot of tailings, left behind by waves of prospectors who pursued their fortune amongst the open pits and mines on Adelaide Hills during the gold rush of the 1850s. Crushed and destemmed straight into the press with minimal time on skins to extract the perfect pink, its blushing lipstick hues presage a cornucopia of lifted strawberry and cherry blossom characters, ruby grapefruit and luscious jube over a length of tasty, toothsome tannins, the perfect Rosé for lazy afternoons or late night soirées. Bird In Hand» |
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Enthused by a consuming desire to make great wine, Andrew Nugent honed his craft as viticulturalist and winemaker amongst the vines of McLaren Vale before returning to the Adelaide Hills, where he established his very own wineworks at Woodside. Hand crafted from fruit grown to mineral rich soils above the historic Bird in Hand gold mine, a pure Pinot Noir with superb effervescence, dominated by red berry characters, adorned by a lift of stonefruits and floral.. Bird In Hand» |
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There are two superb high altitude sites in Carey Gully and Piccadilly Valley, which yield an extraordinary quality of Sauvignon Blanc. Knappstein take the top cut of each harvest, crushing the fruit for a long cool vinification, treating a batch to the added richness of oak barrel ferments for texture, complexity and weight. Riposte» |
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Whole bunches and oak barrel ferments, the costly extravagance of three years tirage on sedimentery yeast lees, each bottle individually riddled by hand, disgorged and sent to cellar for the ultimate indulgence of extra age before release, Pamela is the zenith of the sparkling winemaker's art. Her luxurious effervescence exudes brioche, tarte tatin and French boulangere, her creamy textural mousse unravelling ribbons of rich yeasty autolysis, crème caramel and baked fruits. Wicks» |
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White Label is a McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest eminence, having been nominated for the George Mackey Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding Australian export. Crafted from fruit grown to some of the oldest vines at Pirramimma and McLaren Vale, it has twice claimed Gold in San Francisco and competed well against a formidable host of distinguished growths at the prestigious London International. Pirramimma» |
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David O'Leary and Nick Walker have amassed hundreds of gold medals and trophies between them, including the prestigious Jimmy Watson. A shared confidence in the quality of Clare Valley fruit was the catalyst for them to establish their own winery. OLeary Walker» |
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Willow Creek has quickly gained a reputation as one of the leading Mornington wineries, producing ultra fine Pinot Noir. From the first multiple trophy winning 1994 edition it was clear that Willow Creek was an exceptional site yielding superlative fruit. Willow Creek» |
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About Torbreck - the Winery
Torbreck
Low yielding, old and dry grown Barossa Valley vineyards are the cornerstone of Torbreck Vintners
Torbreck founder David Powell was immersed in the study of Economics at Adelaide University, when an uncle introduced him to wine. Young Dave realized that grapes could be more intriguing than numbers. He began spending more and more of his spare time in the Barossa Valley and during the winters, he availed himself of the opportunity to venture overseas to work harvests in California and Italy. He travelled throughout the famous wine regions of Europe and even spent time in Scotland as a lumberjack. This experience was instrumental in illuminating the unique attributes of the Barossa, at a time when others felt its heritage was past the sell by date.
Finding work at Rockford, Powell became steeped in the traditional culture of the Barossa as the idea of owning his own winery began to take shape. David was saddened by the vinous devastation caused by the mid 1980s government sponsored ‘Vine Pull’ scheme. He became convinced that a market existed for old vine wines as influenced by the classic Rhône styles. Lacking deep pockets (but inspired nonetheless), he set about approaching local landowners concerning their neglected properties.
Powell began to discover and clean up a few sections of dry grown old vines and 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 vineyard, a practice which involves paying the owner a percentage of the market rate for his grapes in return for totally managing the property. Dave nurtured these old, lifeless and overgrown vineyards in his spare time. Near lifeless, he brought them back to health and was rewarded with small parcels of fruit which he made into wine.
Bringing the old practice of share farming back to the Barossa subsequently secured for him a regular supply of fruit from the best Shiraz, Grenache, and Mataro vineyards, including a few hectares of what are thought to be among the oldest grapevines on the planet. In return for his equity of toil and sweat, Powell’s efforts were rewarded with a few parcels of dry grown fruit, and he turned these wages into the first bottles of Torbreck.
As the first vintages lay in barrel, Dave thought back to his experiences overseas and realized that the growers of the Barossa Valley had overlooked the suitability of the French white Rhône varieties. Powell purchased 30 acres of land in Marananga in 1994 for the purpose of planting Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier. Shiraz was included in the mix in what is now known as the Descendant Vineyard, also the site of the new Torbreck winery.
In 1995 Dave crushed three tonnes of grapes and fermented them into wine in a shed on his 12-hectare Marananga property. He named his wine Torbreck after the forest in Scotland where he worked as lumberjack. Other acquisitions (included a one hundred year old vineyard that had been previously share farmed) soon followed, and Torbreck continues to follow the path of sourcing the best fruit possible from its own vineyards and those of select growers. It can be said that the Torbreck portfolio offers the best of both worlds, old and new. Powell is a passionate believer in the Barossa Valley and its viticultural heritage. Dave loves the intense, rich, Rhone-like flavours that come from old vines. His approach to grapegrowing and winemaking melds the region’s terroir with its traditional winemaking practises. In so doing he has achieved a style that fuses his love for the Barossa with his admiration for the valleys of the Rhône.
In July 2002 the historic Hillside property was acquired by Torbreck. Situated in Lyndoch, it is one of the original Barossa properties. Vast and picturesque it contains some magnificent old and ancient vineyards that will further the source of premium quality fruit. The Hillside property contains a wonderful native ecosystem that supports a myriad of flora and fauna which Powell intends to turn it into a nature reserve. An original settlers hut has been lovingly restored as the winery cellar door and provides a personal touch with some Barossa warmth. A new winery and administration facility was completed on land acquired from a next door neighbour. Complete control of all aspects of production have seen a new benchmark of wine quality established by Torbreck in the Barossa.
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