Torbreck The Struie Shiraz 2007

NOTES

Named after a hill which rises above the Glenmorangie distillery, Struie is the home of a pub called the Altman Arms, where David Powell first heard a band called Run Rig. Shiraz grapes grown to the Eden Valley's higher altitudes ripen slower and later (about 1-2 weeks) than their cousins down in the Barossa, resulting in distinctive fruit with a lower pH and higher natural acidity, elegant, tightly structured and highly prized by winemakers. The parcels were fermented separately and matured for eighteen months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barriques.

TASTING NOTES

Sourced from several elevated sites throughout the Barossa (64-110 yr old vines) & Eden Valley (46 yr old vines) the Struie reflects the cooler side of the region and showcases the subtle nuances that are gained from hillside viticulture.  

Possessing a dense and completely opaque hue the 2006 Struie has a wonderfully healthy sheen and great viscosity. The initial aromas of black raspberries, crème de cacao and star anise yield to a fragrant core of slow roasted meats, scorched earth and olive tapenade.  Full bodied and tightly structured the palate shows phenomenal ripeness and brooding richness along with a razor-like spine of beautifully integrated acidity and mountain like tannin that will greatly reward those with the patience to cellar it.

OTHER REVIEWS

The Struie hasn't put a foot wrong in recent years and this is another beauty. It's a smoky, meaty, jammy red, deep in both colour and flavour and long and succulent through the finish. I've loved the released of the past two years but if anything this is a touch better - Torbreck seems to have managed things brilliantly out of the tricky 2006. Ripping wine. Drink: 2008-2016. 94 points.