2017 Torbreck Les Amis Grenache Magnum 1.5L, Barossa Valley

Shimmering ruby. An expansive, assertively scented bouquet evokes cherry and raspberry preserves, incense and candied flowers, along with a Moroccan spice accent. Shows impressive depth as well as energy to its red fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors, which spread out and gain sweetness with aeration. Closes on an emphatic floral note, with rounded, even tannins that share focus and superb, red fruit-driven persistence. Drink to 2035.

95 points Josh Reynolds for Vinous, January 2021

Deep, rich colour with a tinge of brick-red to tawny at the edges; the bouquet is meaty and complex, slightly vegetal, smoked-meats and chocolate indicate and oak-aged wine that's matured somewhat, while the palate is softly fleshy but there's a spike of acidity in there too. The acid is a trifle out of balance. A superripe style. 

94 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, May 2022

Aromas of mulberry, plum, menthol, cedar and spice. Dark and powerful on the palate, liqueur plum, mulberry, plum conserve and spice. Plenty of oak and fruit here, the tannins are firm, textured and provide structure in a pretty opulent wine. 

94 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, May 2022

David Slade’s grenache in Greenock delivers smaller berries and bunches. This has been elevaged in French oak barriques for 24 months. Pomegranate and spiced berry-pastry aromas, together with earthy, leathery and spicy character. The cooler vintage has delivered quite complex style. The palate has a very juicy feel with a bolder oak thread and quite a chiseled palate for grenache. Plenty of structure here. Drink or hold.

94 points James Suckling, September 2020

The 2017 Les Amis Grenache leads with the leather and tar notes that I expect from the season, yet it is couched within a spicy, exotic-feeling array of spices. The tannins here are profuse and have a resinous cast, however the fruit spills over it all. This has a fresh and palate-staining intensity of fruit. Drink to 2043.

93 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, September 2025

One of Torbreck’s most sought after wines, the fruit for the Les Amis [ed. The Friends] Grenache comes from the 1901 planted Slade Vineyard, a sandy, dry grown Greenock site with an easterly aspect. The name is a nod to the growers and relationships that make these rare, small batches of wine possible.

About this producer

Torbreck Vintners was established by Dave Powell in 1994, and from the very beginning, the wines have been no stranger to drama of the very best kind: high international acclaim driven by their power and sense of place. 

The focus has always been on respectful treatment of old vine Barossa fruit through traditional winemaking. Today Chief Winemaker Ian Hongell continues that philosophy, working with growers across the region for access to supplement the special parcels of fruit grown in estate vineyards as well as those grown under custodianship through long-term lease agreements of old vine sites.