2018 Torbreck The Laird Shiraz Magnum (1500ml)

In Scottish terminology, ‘The Laird’ refers to the Lord of the Manor. This single vineyard Shiraz comes from an old vineyard in Marananga planted in 1958, a plot which remains the focus of envy amongst many of the region's winemakers. Previously owned and operated by the legendary Malcolm Seppelt, the vineyard was purchased by Torbreck in 2014 and is perfectly sited with the dry grown, original Barossa clone vines facing south east. The berries are typically small and concentrated and usually harvested in two separate passes.
The French oak selected for the maturation of this wine is considered to be some of the finest in the world. Referred to as Dominique Laurent's 'Magic Casks', the wood is selected from the incredibly tiny and highly prized Troncais forest. The staves are hand split in the French tradition and twice as thick as machine split staves.
As a result of the extra thickness the barrels are able to sustain an extended maturation process due to the tighter porosity that comes with the extra wood.
Maturation took place in the new hand crafted French oak barriques for a period of 36 months. The barrels were stored in their own temperature controlled, ancient stone shed. In short, no expense has been spared.
Dense inky black heart with a very deep black dark red hue. Soaring out of the glass are potent ripe blackberry, liquorice, black cherry and dark chocolate aromas that are totally intoxicating. Also chiming in are toasty vanilln oak, earthy mocha, hints of new leather and pepper. About as concentrated and powerful as a wine can get, it boasts out of this world richness, decadence and power along with a liqueur like density. Mouth coating flavours of lush blackberry, liquorice and black cherry stain the palate backed by a firm muscular tannin structure that is largely absorbed by the sheer weight of voluptuous fruit. Toasty vanillin oak, earthy mocha characters, traces of boot polish and pepper lend further complexity. Finishes exceptionally long, deep and opulent.
Drink over the next 10-20 years.
Alc. 15.5%

Other Reviews…..
Single-vineyard wines that are at the behest and mercy of the seasons are very exciting to view over time. You understand the essence of the style of the wine and the vineyard DNA, so you sit, patiently waiting for the vintages and seasons that meet your personal proclivities to roll around. The 2018 vintage is one of those for me, as will be the cool 2021 and 2022 seasons. The fruit is sourced from the Gnadenfrei vineyard, which was planted in 1958, in Marananga. The fruit was picked over a variety of picks at optimal ripeness and matured for 36 months in new French oak barriques by Dominique Laurent. Eminently red-fruited in the mouth, this 2018 The Laird is reflective of the 2018 season, in that it is pure, fresh, laden with blood plum, saturated in red berries and framed by savory, exotically spiced black tannins. The oak, while a prominent feature of the wine, supports the fruit at all times and assists in extending the flavor through the finish. Thick in the mouth, yet still fresh, there is a moreish quality to this wine. I love it. (It is likely unnecessary to tell you that the wine is incredibly full-bodied. It is enveloping and huge but wonderful.) Drink 2023-2053.
99 points
Erin Larkin – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

It is funny how truly great wines make me think of another other than wine. When I first inhaled the scent of 2018 The Laird, I heard music, which was somewhat unnerving. The phenomenal perfume here conjured up Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave – a distant musical memory from my youth. I have never seen this famous sea cave firsthand, so I searched for it on my phone while diving into this glass. If this wine looks like any marine geological formation, it must be this incredible cavern on the uninhabited island of Staffa. It is fantastic to think that Mendelssohn sat in a boat, off Staffa, in 1829 and penned a couple of bars of music inspired by this cave. Some 15 years later, the first vines were planted in Barossa. I suppose it is somewhat of a tradition for me not to bang on about fruit, flowers, herbs and spices when writing about tremendously moving wines preferring to take my readers to a more emotional place in the hope that they are moved enough to seek out the subject of my musings. In this instance, I cannot get over my Fingal’s Cave spark, and I think it sums up the absurdly deep and never-ending joy that this sublime wine imbues in its taster. Drink 2030 – 2050.
20++/20
Matthew Dukes