-
96
/ 100
Erin Larkin -
19.5+
/ 20
Matthew Jukes
Red
Classification
Shiraz
Variety
2020
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Australia
Country
South Australia, Barossa Valley
Region
15.0%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
96 / 100"The 2020 The Factor is 100% Shiraz and made up of fruit from Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer in the Barossa Valley. The wine was matured for 24 months in a combination of new (40%) and seasoned French oak barriques. In the glass, the wine verges on black, and the nose echoes this abyss-like shade. Blackberry, blood plum, black cherry, licorice, campfire embers, cocoa dust, clove, iodine, vanilla pod and red dirt—this is the core of the wine, the beating heart. The tannins, like a skeleton that protects it, are velvety, plush and structural. Like a skeleton, the tannins are entrenched in the fruit, concealed by a skin of flavor. This is a sybaritic, superstar wine that reflects the warm, concentrated, dry, low-yielding vintage from whence it came. This is classic, polished, midnight Torbreck here. Drink 2023-2043."
- Erin Larkin
19.5+ / 20
"2020 The Factor is the fashion world’s equivalent of a midnight black ballgown, brimming with CGI detail. This is Australia’s Hermitage but blacker, more mineral- drenched, more focussed and, believe it or not, less seemingly tannic and terrifying. The Factor is all about the most luxurious textures and the most incredible control. It is a rich and layered wine, but it shows no trace of excess or ebullience. It is the epitome of measured fruit, lock-step organisation and thrilling symmetry. In the Factor, Runrig, Laird triumvirate, this is the most approachable and kindly of the three wines, but it is also a mighty creation with Mensa-like detail and mind-bending length. Drink 2026 – 2040."
- Matthew Jukes
Tasting Notes
In the words of Torbreck, The Factor is Torbreck's "homage to the great old Shiraz vines of the Barossa Valley and the growers who painstakingly tend and nurture them each year."
The Factor is predominantly from the Gomersal and Marananga sub-regions of the Barossa, providing dense texture and richness to the palate with subtle notes of olive tapenade, saddle leather and minerals. Ripe aromas of plum and wild blackberries, olive, pepper and spice are all supported by a dark core of espresso roast, ripe blackberries and saltbush. Brooding and densely packed, this lavish wine has ample generosity to cellar for many years, where it will slowly unravel its beguiling riches.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity