matthewjukes.com | Matthew Jukes | April  2024

Torbreck winemaker Ian Hongell was in town a couple of weeks ago to show previews of his new releases.  The first batch of wines was launched on 1st March, but I have held back my article until midway between the 1st of March launch of The Steading, The Struie, Descendant and The Factor and the 1st May launch of Les Amis, RunRig, The Forebear and The Laird so I can group all of my notes together. 

In summary, these are some of the most riveting red wines on earth.  Sky high (100-point) scores from a series of commentators back in the Nineties and early Noughties somewhat besmirched the image of this winery.  This naturally made owners of more classically-shaped palates look the other way, but Ian Hongell’s winemaking appointment in 2017 and his relentless augmentation of style and implementation of endless detail in these wines means that while these are admittedly full-flavoured reds, they are also infinitesimally layered and complex.

I find them more expressive and sensual than fleets of Northern and Southern Rhônes and almost all top-end reds from South Africa, California, Chile and Argentina.  Bigger wines can be exquisitely beautiful if they are hewn from strident terroir and possess invigorating and balancing acidity.  This series of wines has all these elements and more. 

As an aside, I opened a couple of older vintages of The Struie, The Factor, RunRig and the GSM The Steading for some 100 Best Australian Wines masterclasses earlier this year. These wines brought the house down.  They looked utterly mesmerising and attracted unanimous wonder and acclaim from the various audiences.  And people went further, pulling me aside after the tastings, stating that they never thought that wine could be so moving.  I could not agree more. 

I bought the very first parcel of Torbreck wines ever released in the UK (1996 RunRig for my wine list at Bibendum Restaurant), and it was as shocking and memorable as the wines mentioned below.  Back then, admittedly, it was a beautiful blunderbuss.  Today, these wines are forensically assembled and laser sighted.  Do all you can to taste them – you will not regret it.