Torbreck Les Amis 2021 Grenache Barossa Valley 750ml

Torbreck, established in 1994, is one of the Barossa Valley’s best-known wineries, built on old-vine Shiraz (RunRig, The Laird), Grenache, and Mataro from dry-grown vineyards. Les Amis is its flagship Grenache, and one of the most prized Grenaches in Australia: a single-vineyard wine sourced from the “revigorated soils of western Greenock,” where the “concentration, poise and elegance” are, in the winery’s words, “perfectly balanced and characteristic of this unique terroir.” The 2021 comes from a dry-grown vineyard planted in the 1960s, and only 225 cases were made.

The fruit is hand-harvested, gently destemmed, and fermented in small open-top vessels, then basket-pressed and matured in fine-grained French oak barriques, a significant portion of them new. It’s bottled unfined and unfiltered, at 15% ABV, under cork. That use of barriques, instead of the large foudres used for Torbreck’s Hillside and Harris Grenaches, gives Les Amis a distinct, savory, charry, structured character. As Torbreck puts it: “Purity, intensity and finesse — Les Amis is a testament to the persistence of our expert, multi-generational grape growers and what the greatest terroirs can impart.”

The 2021 has been consistently well received. Decanter’s Sarah Ahmed and the Halliday Wine Companion each scored it 95. Erin Larkin of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate scored it 94: “The 2021 Les Amis Grenache is spicy and wide, meaty and yet floral, with black tea, dried rose petals, graphite, roast beef crust, a hint of pastrami, blood orange and salted macadamias. The wine is shaped by charry oak (matured in barrique as opposed to Harris and Hillside foudre). This lends an altogether different angle to the wine, and I must admit, I quite like it.” James Suckling also scored it 94: “Wonderfully perfumed aromas of wild blackberries, tobacco leaves, ferric earth and menthol. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of blackcurrants, mocha and dried herbs. Powerful with an underlying freshness. Made from a dry-grown vineyard planted in the 1960s. Only 225 cases made. Drink or hold.” Wine Spectator’s MaryAnn Worobiec scored it 93: “Fragrant and expressive, with distinctive notes of kirsch and black walnut liqueur up front,” with a drinking window of now through 2035.

For house-style context, the winery’s 2022 tasting note describes “immediate, aromatic red fruits such as dried raspberry, red cherry, pomegranate and cranberry,” with “secondary notes of bacon fat, Chinese five spice, sarsaparilla, cloves and petrichor,” and “firm but balanced and drying tannins” that give “plenty of time to mature in the cellar for 10-15 years.” Wine-Searcher shows a critic average of 93 across 69 scores for the wine’s vintages.

It’s a Grenache for customers who love Châteauneuf-du-Pape and old-vine Rhône reds, as well as Australian collectors: spicy, savory, and perfumed rather than jammy, with the structure to cellar for a decade or more. Decant for an hour or more and serve at about 62-65°F, with lamb, duck, braised beef, and aged cheeses.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Torbreck Les Amis 2021 is produced by Torbreck Vintners in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, from 100% Grenache from a single dry-grown vineyard planted in the 1960s in western Greenock. Hand-harvested, gently destemmed, fermented in small open-top vessels, basket-pressed, and matured in French oak barriques (a significant portion new). Unfined and unfiltered. 225 cases. 15% ABV, 750ml.

Critics Reviews

Sarah Ahmed, Decanter — 95 Points

Halliday Wine Companion — 95 Points

Erin Larkin, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate — 94 Points (April 2024):
“The 2021 Les Amis Grenache is spicy and wide, meaty and yet floral, with black tea, dried rose petals, graphite, roast beef crust, a hint of pastrami, blood orange and salted macadamias. The wine is shaped by charry oak (matured in barrique as opposed to Harris and Hillside foudre). This lends an altogether different angle to the wine, and I must admit, I quite like it.”

James Suckling — 94 Points (October 2024):
“Wonderfully perfumed aromas of wild blackberries, tobacco leaves, ferric earth and menthol. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of blackcurrants, mocha and dried herbs. Powerful with an underlying freshness. Made from a dry-grown vineyard planted in the 1960s. Only 225 cases made. Drink or hold.”

MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator — 93 Points:
“Fragrant and expressive, with distinctive notes of kirsch and black walnut liqueur up front.” Drink now through 2035.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Wild blackberry, black tea, dried rose petals, tobacco leaf, ferric earth, and menthol, with kirsch, black walnut, graphite, and charry oak.

Palate
Full-bodied, spicy, and wide, with blackcurrant, mocha, blood orange, and dried herbs, with fine tannin and bright acidity.

Finish
Long and powerful, with an underlying freshness, roast-beef crust, and salted macadamia.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Lamb and duck
• Braised beef and venison
• Charcuterie and cured meats
• Aged and blue cheeses

Serving Note

Decant for an hour or more; serve at about 62-65°F.