Halliday Wine Companion | Dave Brookes | August 2025
97
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
RunRig 2022
I guess you could call the RunRig a modern Barossa classic. 98/2% shiraz/viognier, it's an epic wine, a solid plinth of black and blues fruits deeply etched with exotic spice and earth. Hints of clove, star anise, Old Gold chocolate, licorice, pan juices, earth, dried meats, rose petals, black tea and graphite. Unctuous with great length of flavour and fine, silty tannins suffusing through the wine, it's a study in power and purity, light and shade and all that is great about ancient Barossa shiraz vines. Another great RunRig release.
96
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Les Amis 2022
My good mate used to live in the house next to the Slade vineyard. I've wandered these vines quite a few times with a Cooper's Pale in my hand; the vines are epic, gnarly old beasts, some of the best. Pure satsuma plum fruits daubed with souk-like spice along with hints of gingerbread, pomegranate, cola, char siu, biltong, dried citrus rind, some amaro herbs and an expression of blood orange. It's no airy, fragrant style. There's resonance and power here, abundant spice, bright acidity and a solid core of plum and ginger that rolls along nicely.
94
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
The Factor 2022
The Factor, a subregional blend of shiraz from across the parishes of the Barossa, is again in rude form after the excellent '21 release. Fruit aromas of blood plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits with hints of clove, kirsch, dark chocolate bullets, cherry ripe, ironstone, blackforest cake, spicy oak and earth. Concentrated and darkly spiced with a flow of black fruits, plenty of spice, fine, sandy tannins and an extended draw on the exit.
96
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Descendant 2022
In '22, Torbreck's Descendant sees a blend of 94/6% shiraz/viognier, the addition of the latter lending a stone fruit top-note to the fruit base of doris plum, red cherry and boysenberry. Hints of blackcurrant, clove, bouquet garni, dried citrus rind, pan juices, biltong, dried blossom and deep earth. The fruit has lots of energy on the palate with some raspberry pip lift at its tip, tannins tight and fine grained and a textured, spiced plum finish that is totally the goods.
95
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
The Gask 2023
Shiraz sourced from a number of select Eden Valley sites; matured 18 months in second-fill French oak barrique. Aromas of blueberry, boysenberry and satsuma plum undercut with hints of medina spice, sage, coal dust, sandalwood, dried citrus rind, oak spice, graphite and earth. Gorgeous fruit depth this year; silky and supple with fine-powdered granite tannins and an energetic skip to its gait, finishing spicy and fruit pure
95
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
The Pict 2022
Torbreck's standalone mataro, The Pict, hailing from the northern Barossa Valley, is a juicy, spice-infused ride of blood plum, boysenberry and black cherry fruits etched with the deep, dark, gamey spice that is a feature of the grape. There's some Lutheran garrigue here, too; thyme, sage and such, apparent in the crevices of the wine and a ferrous, meaty sheen that I love. Elastic, silty tannins also sway throughout the wine. Finishes long, dark and spicy.
94
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Hillside Vineyard Grenache 2022
Grenache sourced from the 1949-planted Hillside vineyard in Lyndoch. Bright crimson in the glass with aromas of red cherry, doris plum and stone fruits. Hints of star anise, ginger cake, cola, fennel, quince paste, dried citrus rind, light amaro herbs and clover blossom. The texture and fruit flow here are spot on. Supple and graceful, silty tannins slide in and make their presence felt on the plummy finish.
94
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
The Struie 2023
Shiraz from 76/24% Barossa Valley/Eden Valley. Deep magenta/crimson with aromas of blackberry, black cherry and blood plum underscored with hints of clove, bay leaf, licorice, dried meats, sage, mace, dark chocolate, graphite and violets. Oak, while there, is never a dominant feature in Torbreck wines; it's always about the fruit and the fruit here is black, spicy and has a long pull, with powdered, granitic tannins and plenty of latent power
93
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
The Steading 2023
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.
93
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Hillside Vineyard Shiraz Roussanne 2023
A co-fermented blend of 93/7% shiraz/roussanne. It's not a new thing in the Barossa, this splash of white wine in red. More of it I say. It's all blueberry and doris plum with violet top notes and dabs of spice, milk chocolate, bay leaf, pan juices, cured meats and earth. There's depth and juicy blue and black fruits, but the detail is there, too. Light shines in on some blossomy top notes and silty tannins come in behind, drawing out long and plummy.
93
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Woodcutter's Shiraz 2023
A harmonious, black-cherry-rich shiraz sourced from the Barossan parishes of Marananga, Greenock, Seppeltsfield, Gomersal, Moppa, Lyndoch and Ebenezer. Satsuma plum, the aforementioned cherries, five-spice, bay leaf, licorice, biltong, citrus blossom and earth. I love the pure, savoury fruit core here, like a tube of black cherry and spice, travelling straight and true with fine tannin support and boundless energy. Great drinking.
94
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Cuvée Juveniles 2023
A blend of 48/28/13/6/5% grenache/mataro/carignan/counoise/shiraz from vineyards in Lyndoch, Gomersal, Seppeltsfield, Marananga and Greenock. I guess this is the wine that started it all. It's a Côtes du Rhône blend, sharply priced, with a connection to a famous Parisian wine bar; a juicy plum and spice-forward wine that is a joy to drink. Light on the artefact and high in effortless drinkability, finishing stony, spicy, meaty and moreish. A classic.
91
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Woodcutter's Rosé 2024
This is 100% mataro. Pale salmon with a light copper hue. Characters of raspberry, peach and ruby red grapefruit alongside hints of gentle meadow herbs, spice, dried meats, a suggestion of crushed stone and redcurrant jelly. Texture swells on the palate, teetering on that off-dry fulcrum, finishing bright and moreish.
93
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Cuvée Juveniles Blanc 2024
25/24/24/20/7% roussanne/marsanne/grenache blanc/clariette/viognier. There is a mineral salt character and a slide of umami on the palate here that is just lovely. The viognier lends a liminal floral tone in the background but its all pear, stone fruit and green papaya with notes of chalk, lemongrass, crushed stone, ginger, clover blossom and white pepper. Jeez it's a lovely drink, and ripping value, too.
90
Dave Brookes
WINE COMPANION
Woodcutter's Semillon 2024
Barossa Valley semillon, three months in 60% stainless steel tank, 40% seasoned French barrique. Pale in the glass with a flash of green and aromas of lemon, lime and grapefruit along with hints of almond paste, drying straw, honeysuckle, meadow flowers, light mealy tones and stone. Lightly textural, with a lemony draw on the palate and clotted cream and curd notes. Tight acidity and a dry finish that shows excellent sustain.
