Since 2001 Woodcutter’s Shiraz has represented a selection of Torbreck vineyards from the Barossa and Eden Valley districts. Sourced from both established and younger vineyards these site are considered the future stars of the Torbreck portfolio.
At harvest, wines made from these vineyards are created with an intention of drinkability. A shorter maturation period in older French oak allows Woodcutter’s Shiraz to be released young, as a balanced and vibrant wine expressing the generosity of Barossa fruit with the balance of softer tannins from no new oak.
Considering very few of these wines will be cellared, it was intriguing to see how a vertical line up of our first tier offer would hold up. Below are the tasting notes of all the vintages from the inaugural 2001 through to the latest release of the 2019 Woodcutter’s Shiraz.
Cellared in the Torbreck Museum, this was history opened.
WOODCUTTER’S SHIRAZ TASTING NOTES
MAY 15 2020
2019
Dense purple and bright. Dark plum, cherry and chocolate a plush feeling palate with a talc line of tannin. Vibrant youthful and structured.
A very low yielding drought vintage from a warmer season.
DRINK 5–15 YEARS
2018
Bright purples in the glass. Plush and round plummy palate with lots of volume and fragrance. A fleshy dense palate with softness and fine chalky tannins.
An excellent mild vintage, many great wines will be made in this season.
DRINK 5–10 YEARS
2017
Bright colour and density. Red fruits, fresh juicy plum notes, vibrant spice and pepper. A plush driven line across the palate with a fresh elegant finish.
A cool season with high winter rainfall producing fragrant, elegant atypical expressions of Barossa Shiraz.
DRINK NOW–10 YEARS
2016
Dense palate and colour intensity. Plum, chocolate and spice on the nose and a very round and long palate with high density.
A warmer season with low yields resulting in wines of high density tannin and extract.
DRINK 5–10 YEARS
2015
Bright reds in the glass. A more subdued style: plum, raspberry, spice and a fine tannin delineation leading to a talc like finish.
A warmer season with higher yields resulting in finer more elegant styles of Shiraz.
DRINK NOW–8 YEARS
2014
Slightly advanced in colour, ginger plum and soy notes on the nose. Medium density on the palate with red fruits cedar and chocolate complexing a little leaner on the finish.
A difficult season with rain interruptions throughout the harvest period.
DRINK NOW–5 YEARS
2013
Dense colour and power. A very robust expression with tannins remaining quite pronounced, still countering the roundness of the fruit.
This was a warmer dry season and the higher extract in the wines from this vintage are showing.
DRINK NOW–10 YEARS
2012
Medium density, red fruits, spice, touches of black pepper. Quite an elegant expression of this wine. Soft mid palate and some tension from natural acidity showing.
A very mild season in the Barossa, wines tend to be very long lived and less muscular.
DRINK NOW–10 YEARS
2011
Medium density, spice and black pepper on the nose. A smaller framed mid palate with cherry, stone, plum, and red fruits, and a long finish. Still in a great condition; a leaner style reflecting the year.
This vintage was written off early by many due to rain at harvest. Whilst the wines are atypical for the region, they represent the season with a strong fingerprint.
DRINK NOW–5 YEARS
2010
Strong colour and high density in the glass. Expressive plum and dark fruit lift, very fresh and bright. Dense textural palate weight, very impressive.
A classic year in the Barossa, loved by winemakers across the region.
DRINK NOW–10 YEARS
2009
Medium density, some advancement in the glass, spiced dark fruits with aniseed on the bouquet. The palate is taut and shows some slight elevated acidity, with the fruit beginning to fade a little.
A hot year, showing the earlier effects on younger vineyards.
DRINK NOW
2008
Very good reds in the glass, the density and concentration remaining. Lifted fragrant plum and lavender perfume. An opulent palate, round and dense with lovely flow to the finish.
A great result in a warmer year.
DRINK NOW–10 YEARS
2007
Some browning at the edges, touches of oxidation, fig and plum showing. Pleasant, without showing the generosity of the greater vintages.
A drought vintage, difficult growing conditions with heat generally taking the edge off these wines.
DRINK NOW
2006
Lovely density and brightness. Plum, Chinese five spice, red fruits and a solid centre. Good life remaining in the wine.
A goldilocks season in the Barossa region; not too hot, not too cold.
DRINK NOW–5 YEARS
2005
A slightly leaner expression of Shiraz on the palate, some colour development and browning at the edges. Gentle red fruits, but falling away a little.
A vintage that generated higher yields in a warmer season, typically a more difficult combination to handle as a winemaker.
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2004
Still a powerful wine. Developed dark fruits, some Christmas spice and choc sarsaparilla showing. Palate is well balanced and has a good fruit presence.
A classic vintage in the region with Shiraz wines showing depth texture and structure.
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2003
Some advancement showing on this wine. Fruit was beginning to fall away a little, still soft and textural.
A more difficult year due to drought and heat.
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2002
From a very good vintage, soft red fruit undertones with notes of aniseed and soy. Balanced soft fruit, quite a contrast to the previous vintage, very enjoyable.
2002 was heralded vintage, at the time it was the coolest year on record. Wines showed higher acidity and more spice/ aniseed notes still evident in today’s wines.
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2001
A charming developed example of a millennium Barossa Shiraz. Cedar leather plum and spice, fragile and changing in the glass as we tasted, still showing reds fruit and signature softness.
2001 was a warmer vintage in the Barossa where mid weight palate was difficult to achieve. Wines of this vintage displayed early tannin lines that would auger well for cellaring.
DRINK NOW
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