Torbreck Vintners, The Laird, 2017

Originally owned by the legendary Malcolm Seppelt, fruit for the Laird comes from the Gnadenfrei vineyard, nestled on a gentle south facing slope on the eastern side of a ridge separating the Seppeltsfield and Marananga appellations, in the Barossa Valley. Planted in 1958, the 5 acres of Shiraz is embedded in very dark, heavy clay loam over red friable clay. The vineyard is meticulously hand tended, un-irrigated, traditionally farmed and pruned. The resulting small, concentrated Shiraz berries produced consistently on the property make it the envy of all winemakers in the valley.

Tasting notes from the winemakers:

Immediately aromas of rich black and red fruits such as and mulberry, blackberry red cherry and cassis fill the bouquet, complimented by savoury notes of tobacco leaf, garrigue, tar, bay leaf, vanilla pod and sarsaparilla root. Alluring spices such as cinnamon and liquorice meld further into the complexing amalgam of flavours. The palate possesses great fruit depth and a degree of elegance displaying wonderful harmony and posture with firm tight tannins holding the fruit and the structure together.