2024 Torbreck The Steading Blanc RMV, Barossa Valley

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. Screw cap.

94 points jamessuckling.com

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.