2024 Torbreck The Steading Blanc, Barossa Valley

The 2024 The Steading Blanc is a composition of Roussanne (63%), Marsanne (28%), and Viognier (9%), and the wine is equal parts floral, chalky phenolics and preserved citrus fruits. It has a burst of fresh saline acidity in the mouth, and the wine seems a perfect fit for the soils of the Barossa. The fruit is from the Descendant vineyard on Roennfeldt Road, first planted in 1994. This is very good. Drink to 2032.

94 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, April 2025.

Layers of honeysuckle, lemon myrtle, sliced pears, beeswax and stone fruit on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with a chewy phenolic edge and a generous texture, giving flavors of nectarines, white flowers, grapefruit pith and green apples. A blend of 53% roussanne, 45% marsanne and 2% viognier fermented in a mix of stainless steel and barrels. Drink or hold.

94 points James Suckling, April 2025

A nicely focused, briny blend of 53% roussanne, 45% marsanne and 2% viognier that is just wonderful drinking. Grapefruit, nashi peach and green apple with hints of almond blossom, a suggestion of lanolin and struck flint, clover blossom, fennel and ozone. Sleek, lightly textured, with a lick of umami, there is certainly a lot to like here. Drink to 2032.

93+ points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2026

The colour is almost water-white, not showing the development we might expect at this age. There are youthful aromas of almond meal, honey, poached stone fruits and vanilla, a curious note of gunsmoke, and on palate a slight impression of sweetness rounding out the charming and accessible flavour. Lots to like here. Drink to 2034.

93 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, November 2025

The 2024 The Steading Blanc is a well-controlled expression. The natural exuberance of these varieties is restrained here to provide focus. Exotic melon and grapefruit aromas are lifted by acacia and old oak. Juicy acidity then delivers a linear texture accented by pithy, phenolic grip before finishing long and fine. Drink to 2032.

92 points Angus Hughson for Vinous, August 2025

A white Rhône blend that feels both generous and sculpted, this wine shows Torbreck’s fascination with Mediterranean varieties grown in Barossa soils. The Steading Blanc is built around Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier sourced from old vineyards that thrive in the region’s warm days and cool nights. The fruit carries natural richness, but careful picking preserves acidity, shaping a wine that balances breadth with freshness.

Winemaking leans into texture. Fermentation and maturation build a creamy mid palate while allowing floral and stone fruit aromatics to stay vivid. Oak is integrated rather than dominant, adding frame and spice without heaviness. The result is layered and savoury, a white designed as much for the table as for casual drinking.

Pale gold in colour, the aromas open with apricot, peach and pear layered with honeysuckle, almond and gentle spice. The palate is medium to full bodied and silky, with stone fruit wrapped in soft acidity and a lightly waxy texture. Flavours of nectarine and citrus flow into a long, dry finish with nutty depth.

It pairs beautifully with roast chicken, pork, seafood in butter sauces and richly flavoured vegetable dishes. Drinking impressively now, it will cellar comfortably for six to eight years, developing honeyed and savoury complexity.

This is Barossa seen through a Rhône lens, textural, aromatic and quietly powerful.