(Mar. 13 2013) — “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Sure, the quotation is about marriage, not wine, but South Australia’s Torbreck Vintners is such a successful marriage of New World and Old World that the adage seems appropriate. The winery is, literally, still a teenager. Founded in 1994 by David Powell, Torbreck is the brash upstart, the talented new kid on the Barossa Valley block. But the founding principle has nothing to do with newness and everything to do with reverence for the past and respect for tradition. David Powell has reclaimed and revived overgrown, often moribund parcels of dry-grown old, old Barossa Valley vines.

Something borrowed? The name of the winery — after a forest in Scotland where David Powell worked as a lumberjack after graduation from Adelaide University. And, of course, the style of the wines themselves is a respectful nod in the direction of France’s Rhône Valley.

Something blue? What the air turned thanks to the language of would-be wine collectors once they learned how little there was of the 1996 RunRig favourably reviewed in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. That influential publication has more recently named Torbreck one of the “World’s Top 100 Wine Estates”. There’s no need, however, for you to turn the air blue, because you will have the chance to taste the 2003 RunRig as well as seven other Torbreck wines on Wednesday, March 13th. Parker’s scores for these wines range from 93 to 99 out of 100.

RunRig is produced from 120 to 160 year old Shiraz vines and a small amount of Viognier. The Wine Spectator has named it one of Australia’s 25 “benchmark” wines.

The Steading is an homage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Shiraz, and 20% Mataro (Mourvèdre), sourced from some 45 different vineyard sites. We’ll taste the 2003.

The Factor is 100% Shiraz and shares many of its old vine fruit sources with RunRig. We have the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.

The Descendant was planted in 1994 with cuttings from several of the vineyards that supply RunRig. We’ll taste the 2004 (92% Shiraz, 8% Viognier).

The Struie is 100% Shiraz made from vineyard sites in the Eden Valley (approximately 40-year-old vines) and Barossa Valley (average 60-year-old vines). We will sample the 2004.

With the three 2003s and three 2004s, you can compare styles from the same vintage, different sources. You may also trace the evolution of The Factor over a span of four vintages. Please join us.

As always with our tastings, this event will be strictly non-smoking, and we request your cooperation in not wearing any scented after-shave or perfume.