2019 Torbreck The Forebear Shiraz, Barossa Valley

The 2019 The Forebear Shiraz is the inaugural release of this wine, positioned alongside the Laird. The fruit is sourced from the oldest plantings in the Hillside Vineyard in Lyndoch—12 rows planted in the early 1850s. The wine is astounding. It is inky black in its fruit spectrum, infused from all sides with gravelly tannin that feel both velvety and gritty; there's loads of chewy tannin to support the kaleidoscopic fruit, and monumental length. This is a very impressive wine, memorable and precise. I can understand why a single vineyard was made from this special parcel. So, on the nose, you get mulberry, blackberry, blueberry and ironstone, rust, blood plum, raspberry pip, aniseed, sumac and clove. The tannins splay across the palate and leave a trail of ferruginous spice in their wake, with inflections of ras el hanout, pomegranate molasses, pink peppercorns and roast beef crust. This is a whopping wine. Superb. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax, with a black front label.

98 points Erin Larkin robertparker.com

A brand new cuvee. The inaugural release comprises fruit from a proprietary property in Lyndoch, documented as the second winery built in the Barossa Valley. Vineyard planted in 1850s on its own rootstock. I really like this. An earlier picked site, spending two years in oak and three years in the bottle pre-release. Despite the typical Barossan weight, there is ample freshness. Baking spice, licorice, saturated dark fruit, iodine and forest accents. The tannin structure is chewy and nourishing. Long finish. Plenty to get the teeth into. This is an excellent wine. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.

97 points Ned Goodwin MW jamessuckling.com

The Forebear is crafted from the original 12 rows of ancient Shiraz vines planted by the Springbett family which represent an irreplaceable link to the early history of the Barossa as a viticultural treasure from the first generation of European settlers. They are Torbreck’s oldest collection of vines from any single plot.

The cooler evening breezes that flow through the southern end of the Barossa produce an elegant style of Shiraz that is regarded for its distinctive aromatic, lifted floral notes and red fruit flavours, across a medium weight line intertwined with subtle rounded tannins.

The core of red berry fruit and texture derived from these very old and gnarly vines produce an unmistakable degree of finesse and complexity that was calling out to bottled as a single site expression, and a reflection of place.  Torbreck chief winemaker Ian Hongell and viticulturist Nigel Blieschke, who have driven this project since 2014, were firm in their belief that this vineyard had a rightful place in Torbreck’s pursuit of single-site wines of significance and pedigree. 

The Forebear, a premium single-vineyard wine crafted from one of the oldest Shiraz vineyards in the world, pays homage to the pioneering families of the Barossa.

In 1849 Samuel Springbett, established ‘Hillside’ on the outskirts of Lyndoch in the southern end of the Barossa Valley.  A small shiraz vineyard was established c.1850, starting a legacy of grape growing and winemaking across multiple generations and families.

In 2002 Torbreck purchased the Hillside Vineyard estate, remarkably still predominately in its original form, including a number of significant vineyards and the heritage-listed winery and cellars, and immediately set out on rejuvenating the ancient vineyards, implementing sustainable farming practices and restoring the estate's waterways and scrubland back to their natural state. The vines are from an ancient Heritage clone originally brought from Europe as cuttings and planted before the discovery of Phylloxera. These ancestor vines are embedded in soils of sand over deep loam and red clay.

The Forebear is named in honour of those who came before, our ancestors, whose custodianship, vision and values protected and preserved these heritage vines.

This single vineyard Shiraz is a testament to ancient soils and the sustainable viticultural practices of generations of Barossa farmers.

Medium to full weight with lifted red fruit aromatics, balanced by the nuanced influence of restrained French barrique maturation. A timeless addition to any collection, this Shiraz promises to gracefully evolve and captivate for many years to come.