Torbreck The Factor 2023 [in bond ex vat] 3L, Double Magnum

Shiraz

3L * Vegan * 15.5% ABV * Barossa Valley, Australia

"The Barossa is capable of great density, power, intensity and focus, and this wine here shows all of these things." Erin Larkin

The manager on a highland estate is referred to as The Factor. Many of these vineyards were planted in the 19th century and because of South Australia’s far-sighted quarantine policy, were not affected by the phylloxera outbreak that ravaged the vineyards of the world in the 1880s. They survive on their own roots more than a century later as clonal time capsules. The reputation of the Barossa as the pre-eminent red wine growing region of Australia rests firmly on wines such as this.

The 2023 growing season brought above-average rainfall in winter and spring and a cooler summer. The majority of the harvest took place 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 with careful soil management, the vintage resulted in low-yielding and resilient fruit. The upside, however, to a cool season is far greater, and producers and wine enthusiasts alike hold these seasons in high regard. The vintage has resulted in very strong wines with bright colours and freshness from higher natural acidities, auguring them towards greater longevity and detail across the palate.

This wine spends 24 months in a combination of new (40%), second fill and seasoned French oak barriques.

Very expressive with lifted black fruits such as satsuma plum, blackberry compote, maraschino cherry, vanilla bean, dark cocoa and a secondary note of black tea, dark cocoa and espresso grounds. Complex, luxuriously dense and alluring. The mineral components highlight Barossa Ironstone, dried earth and eucalypt. The wine’s voluptuous texture envelops the mouth with soft yet dense tannins and mouth filling viscosity. The flavours linger and the cleansing acidity polishes the palates gorgeous length and depth. Oak maturation is harmonious and well-integrated adding to complexity on release. A modern version of a Barossa classic that will age for 20+ years. Enjoy from 2026- 2045. 

"The Factor commands respect, and with two years in 40% new French barriques, this is the super posh wine in the Torbreck armoury. In 2023, the fruit is astonishingly luxurious, and it appears on the palate silently like a massive, black, stealthy and relentless submarine. Nautilus-like with extraordinary texture, acres of cacao and crates of spices and peppers, there is even a twist of Turkish bazaar here, which lightens the menacing mood. This is yet another staggeringly complete wine, with epic presence in the glass." 19.5/20, Matthew Jukes

"The 2023 The Factor is a celebration of old-vine vineyards in the Barossa Valley, and this sourcing philosophy is clear in this wine. The Barossa is capable of great density, power, intensity and focus, and this wine here shows all of these things. The cool, wet and late season that was 2023 has yielded a wine of saturated red fruit flavor and freshness. I like it so much. 15.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink 2026-2043." 96/100, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

"Massively concentrated, glass-staining purple colour; the aroma is raw and callow with primary fruit showing little sign of development, but including a worrying whiff of aldehyde. Notes of raw coconut and sherry flor. Raisiny fruit-cake and a trace of licorice too. The wine is full-bodied and power-packed, with black olive/tapenade, chewy tannins that coat the entire interior of the mouth, then a very long finish that suggests this wine will be long lived. The power, concentration and structure of the wine are undoubted, and it’s possible my reservation about the nose is an issue with this bottle, and even it might have come good with time. Time is definitely something this wine demands. No doubting the power, concentration and super-ripeness of the wine. Don’t touch it for at least two years. Drink 2029-2048." 96/100, Huon Hooke, Real Review

Please note prices are in-bond and exclude VAT and Duty, which are payable when the wines are withdrawn from in-bond storage.