Torbreck Wines > The Wines > The Factor

2006	(100% shiraz) Youthful violet color. Powerfully scented bouquet offers blackberry, cherry-cola, licorice, violet oil and vanilla, with mounting spiciness adding vivacity. Deep in dark berry flavors but by no means heavy, offering sweet fl oral and licorice pastille qualities and a lashing of smoky minerals. Unfolds slowly to show brighter red fruits. An extremely young shiraz with excellent finishing clarity and an echo of cola.
2004	Opaque ruby. Powerful dark berry liqueur aromas are complemented by a kaleidoscopic array of fresh and dried flowers, incense, Asian spices and vanilla. Suave and silky in texture, with explosive blackberry and mulberry flavors complemented by exotic spice and floral qualities. Finishes with superbly integrated tannins and outstanding persistence, leaving sexy spice and mocha notes in its wake.
2003	Deep violet. Boysenberry, blueberry, dark plum, baking spices, smoked meat, cured tobacco and a hint of graphite on the flamboyant nose. Explosively flavored and rich, with lush dark berry, plum preserve and fruitcake flavors lifted by notes of candied licorice and minerals. A sweet, fat wine that's also focused, even elegant, with a suave, spicy finish featuring big but harmonious tannins. Shows impressive energy for the vintage, too.
2002	Deep, saturated ruby-violet. Intensely aromatic, even perfumed on the nose, with aromas of kirsch, superripe blackberry, molten chocolate, rose oil and violet. Concentrated, fat and unctuous, showing sweet flavors of raspberry and blackberry confit, smoked bacon, molasses, fruitcake and candied orange peel. Finishes with excellent lift and defining acidity for a wine of such ripeness and power.
2001	Bright medium ruby. Dark raspberry, plum, fruitcake, tar and molasses on the nose. Juicy, tightly wound and very firmly built; the dark berry and fruitcake fla vors began a bit ungiving but showed increasing sweetness in the glass. Finishes firm and quite fresh, with impressive nutty persistence.
2000	Deep red-ruby. Leathery, herbal, spicy, slightly evolved aromas of small black and red berries, with restrained cedar and vanilla oak notes, licorice, musk and clove. Medium to full in weight, with tannins that are firm but not aggressive. A vibrant core of slightly jammy small berry and plum flavor coats the length of the palate, while the oak is understated and supportive. Finishes spicy and long. Should reach its peak in two to five years.
1999	Saturated purple- red. Pedigreed Barossa shiraz nose of rare intensity and opulence: heady, spicy cassis and raspberry fruit notes, tar and leather, given the full treatment of smoky vanillin, chocolatey oak. Remarkably smooth and silky for a wine of such concentration and weight. Explosive and exceptionally long on the finish, with flavors of cassis, dark cherry, molasses and plum. At once voluptuous and refined; a wine with great balance and potential.

The Factor - Steven Tanzer (IWC)