Torbreck "The Pict" Mataro 2022 (Barossa Valley, Australia) - [JS 96] [WA 95]

Torbreck "The Pict" Mataro 2022
(Barossa Valley, Australia) - [JS 96] [WA 95]


$100.00 $89.97 Save $10.03
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JS96 WA95
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Notes from the Winemaker:

The Pict is made from century-old Mataro vines from the north-western Barossa ranges. It was named in honour of the Picts, a tribe of fierce warriors who were the first people to inhabit Scotland. The wine, like the warriors, is a wild and untamed beast!

A remnant quarry is the source of this single vineyard from which the fruit exhibits a wild, rugged aroma that is reminiscent of the earthy Mataros from the Bandol region of France.

Torbreck is the name of a forest near Inverness, Scotland. You'll find more than a passing nod to the Celts in our wine naming conventions including this tribute to the foresters of this rugged high country.

Vintage:

The 2022 vintage was characterised by above average winter rains making up for a dry autumn, leading to full canopies and healthy vines for the harvest. A severe hailstorm across some parts of the Valley in late October resulted in lower average yields.

The summer was remarkably mild with very few days above 30 degrees. Slow ripening in the cooler conditions made for a gentle and drawn-out vintage season, resulting in wines with higher natural acidity, rich colours and fine tannins. The wines from 2022 will reward those patient enough to cellar them away.

Tasting Notes:

Aromas typical of the Mataro (Mourvedré) variety leap from the glass such as blue plum and maraschino cherry, boysenberry, wild thyme, charcuterie, beef jus, fennel seed and sarsaparilla root. A earthy and meaty wine that is soft and textural whilst holding a dense mouthfeel with plush brambly fruits and soft enveloping tannins which bind the palate seamlessly and ensure a very pleasurable experience. Drink from 2025 and best to 2032. Serve at 16C. Match with roasted red meats or full flavoured slow cooked dishes.

Technical Information:

Variety: 100% Mataro
Vineyards: Northern Greenock, Materne ‘Quarry Block’ Vineyard planted 1927
Sub-Regions: Greenock
Harvest Date: 27th March 2022
Maturation: 20 months French barrique (50% new)
Analysis: Alc/Vol 15%
pH 3.63
Acidity 5.53/L
Colour: Almost black when young
Aroma: Black plums, earth, game meats, liquorice and blood.
Palate: Firm tannins, plush dense mid palate texture with lots of brooding black fruits
and savoury complexities.
Aging Potential: 7 to 10 years



Ratings and Reviews

96 Points - James Suckling:

"The nose is savory and deeply brooding, with aromas of blood plums, dark chocolate, mulberry bush and cured meat. The palate is medium-bodied with firmly integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of blackberry compote, tobacco leaves, cedar and bay leaves. Firmly structured with a generous texture that will develop nicely in bottle. Drink or hold." - Ryan Montgomery (Nov 2024)
95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2022 The Pict Mataro is from a vintage that may always sit in the shadow of the excellent 2021 that came before it, yet for me, the 2022s have been such excellent and sometimes quieter iterations that I find myself preferring them more and more. As to which will be longer lived, time will tell, but 2022 is not a vintage to be underestimated. The wine leads with macerated cherries, pomegranate molasses, goji berries, black peppercorns and tapenade. On the palate, the wine is creamy and gravelly and a little boozy through the finish, and yet the fruit wears it well. I clarified the following with winemaker Ian Hongell (from my note written last year): "The fruit is from a 1901 planting, planted in the middle of a paddock. 'There's sheep and one tree. And some rocks,' says winemaker Ian Hongell." He agrees; this is the case with the vineyard. The vines were planted 124 years ago and produce wines with close-knit gravelly tannins, silky fruit and persistent length. This is another Torbreck wine that speaks so clearly of Barossa." - Erin Larkin (Apr 2025)