2023 Torbreck The Steading GSM
2023 Torbreck The Steading GSM

2023 Torbreck The Steading GSM

94 pts
Torbreck |Barossa Valley |Grenache
A relaxed, beautifully balanced Barossa blend that shows Torbreck’s knack for turning old-vine fruit into effortless, drinkable style.
Price:
$45.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

The Steading is Torbreck in a nutshell – old-vine Barossa fruit, classic varieties and a focus on balance over power. It’s a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro from more than forty small vineyard parcels spread across the Valley, some with vines that go back to the 1950s and beyond.

The 2023 season was mild and drawn out, and that calm, even ripening shows in the wine. Each parcel was fermented and aged on its own in old oak before being blended. Nothing fancy, just gentle handling and patience to let the fruit do the talking.

In the glass it’s smooth and open, showing ripe red and black fruits, spice and a bit of earthy depth. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a clean, dry finish, it’s a wine that hits the sweet spot between generosity and restraint. It’s Barossa through and through – full of flavour but never overdone.

95 points
"Open and unfurled, this is an arrestingly attractive The Steading, and it is drinking right….NOW."
- Matthew Jukes (MatthewJukes.com)

Ryan Montgomery

Ryan Montgomery

James Suckling 94 Points

Lifted and perfumed aromas of blackberries, violets, boysenberries, dark cherries, tar and spices. The palate is is finely tuned and tightly wound, with bright and focused flavors of red peppercorns, tobacco leaves, cured meat and dark chocolate. There is lovely transparency and vibrancy from a cool vintage aged in foudres for 18 months. A blend of 57% grenache, 33% shiraz and 10% mataro

Matthew Jukes

Matthew Jukes

MatthewJukes.com 94 Points

Open and unfurled, this is an arrestingly attractive The Steading, and it is drinking right….NOW. While the Mourvèdre slice is spicier than usual, with a nice gritty traction that keeps the louche Grenache from slip-sliding away, the overall stance on the palate of this crowd-pleaser is of an unabashed performer, yearning to be poured and adored. Keep the mighty 2022 in your cellar and allow this loveable rogue to leapfrog it today!

Erin Larkin

Erin Larkin

The Wine Advocate 93 Points

The 2023 The Steading comprises a blend of Grenache (57%), Shiraz (33%) and Mataro (10%). The wine is chocolaty and rich and abundant in fruit and spice detail. Shapely tannins define the palate, and the finish is long and concentrated. This wine has a long and popular history, and it is pleasing to see that continued here today. The cool and wet 2023 season is not overly evident in the wine in the glass here; perhaps it is slightly lighter than last year, but it lacks none of the concentration or density of the cuvées past. 15.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork

Andrew Caillard

Andrew Caillard

The Vintage Journal 93 Points

Medium-deep crimson. Intense polished walnut, dark cherry, brambly aromas. Richly flavoured palate with generous dark berry, dark chocolate brambly flavours and fresh al dente/ grippy tannins. Very good volume, energy and torque. Bittersweet finish. Mataro shines through! Drink now–2034

Dave Brookes

Dave Brookes

Halliday Wine Companion 93 Points

In '23, the Steading sees a blend of 50/31/19% grenache/shiraz/mataro from grapes sourced across the parishes of the Barossa. Blueberry, boysenberry, dark cherry and plum is where the fruit is at; plumbed with gingery spice and hints of citrus blossom, dried meats, dried citrus rind and earth. The fruit's deep but there is a succulence on the palate and a nice energy to the acidity, finishing with a swell of powdery tannin and spiced red and dark berry fruits.

The Steading is very much the heart and soul of Torbreck, the wine that exemplifies our philosophy and beliefs - protecting and nurturing the old vine resources of the Barossa Valley is paramount to Torbreck and this wine.

It is sourced from Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz vines that survived the worldwide phylloxera outbreak of the 1880s, and a century later, the vine-pull scheme in the Barossa in the 1980s.

The wine is a result of the serendipitous discovery of small remnant patches of withered ancient vines, some well over a century old, that have been carefully nurtured back to life. The protection of this old vine resource of the Barossa Valley is central to the Torbreck story and this wine, more than any other, is an indication of what is possible from these historic cultivars.

The Steading is a collection of 45 different sources of fruit, some from our own vineyard estates as well as from growers on a share-farming basis. These precious grapes are vinified separately and blended once their individual virtues have been assessed.

The Steading’s generous and supple flavours combine with its silken texture in a wine that defines what is possible only in the Barossa.

Vintage Summary (2023)

The 2023 growing season brought above-average rainfall in winter and spring and a cooler summer. The majority of the harvest tookplace in the colder months, and most vineyards were not harvested until April, approximately one month later than usual.

Cooler seasons can pose several challenges, but through our dedicated commitment to viticulture practices, such as hand pruning and harvesting withcareful soil management, the vintage resulted in low-yielding and resilient fruit.The vintage has resulted in very strong wines from the Eden and Barossa Valleys, with bright colours and freshness from highe rnatural acidities, auguring them towards greater longevity and detail across the palate.

Winemaking

The Steading is a classic Barossa blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro, sourced from dry-grown vineyards on the Barossa’s Western Ridge—some more than 150 years old. Fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented in small open-top. After basket pressing, the wines components are matured for 20 months in large-format 4,500L seasoned French oak foudre before the final blend is made.

Bottled unfined and unfiltered, The Steading is a harmonious, layered expression of Barossa’s traditional cultivars and ancient vineyard heritage.

Tasting Note

Deep crimson to dark plum core. Intensely lifted red fruits dominate the aromas of red cherry, red plum, redcurrant. Chinese five spice, fennel seed and star anise and a discernible red meat and savoury beef stock note adding complexity. The palate continues with red fruits cascading across soft chalky tannins and dense mouthfeel with textural savoury notes and fine acid adding length to the balanced palate Enjoy with lamb in any cuisine or an eggplant curry. Serve at 16C/55F.

Price Bracket $41 to $50
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Grenache
Variety Style ["Grenache Blends"]
Country Australia
Region Barossa Valley
Australian State SA
Reviewed By James Suckling
The Wine Advocate
Halliday Wine Companion
MatthewJukes.com
The Vintage Journal
Critic Score 94
Alcohol 15.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023

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