2018 The Laird Torbreck

Robert Parker 99 Punkte: 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.)

Deep crimson with aubergine core. Luxurious and alluring black and blue fruits
such as and mulberry, blackberry, black cherry and cassis fill the bouquet,
complimented by savoury notes of tobacco leaf, garrigue, tar, bay leaf, vanilla pod
and sarsaparilla root. The wine has wonderful complexity and charm that excites the
senses. 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. Not for the faint hearted it’s a
wine that needs time to offer its best. A beauty that will live for generations.
Enjoy from 2026 and cellar to 2060+. Serve at 16C with prime cuts, roast BBQ Pork
or vintage cheddar.