Torbreck Juveniles 2006

Julian: let's see if this works
Chris has joined this chat.
Dan has joined this chat.
Dan: well hello
Chris: Ah there we go
Chris: Dan! We're about to open the bottle
Chris: (s)
Julian: i shall go and get my bottle
Julian: ok, my bottle is open too
Chris: sweet, Dan's booting the other laptop
Chris: should be a minute
Julian: awesome, we'll wait for him to get ready
Chris: I can already smell this wafting out of the bottle though.
Julian: wow i can smell it from here already
Chris: jinx!
Julian: as usual
Julian: it's not an especially dense colour
Chris: haven't poured it yet
Chris: lemme do that
Julian: okay
Chris: yeah, it's more at beaujolais innit?
Chris: looks thin
Chris: wonder why?
Chris: it's a little dark in here, so it's hard to get an accurate colour.
Julian: it does -- i guess a lighter style, perhaps less skin contact
Chris: what, minimised extraction of anthocyanins?
Julian: it's quite pretty though -- slightly purple but more ruby at this stage
Chris: pfffft
Julian: oh you technical taster you
Chris: yes, but it has this weird un-dense look to it
Chris: I'm just bullshitting
Julian: yes it does, it almost looks watery
Chris: it looks watery at the rim
Chris: heh
Julian: it has an orangey edge to it -- only slightly
Chris: I can't really tell, the light in here isn't that bright.
Julian: colour is overrated
Julian: how's Dan going?
Chris: it basically looks really young to me, watery at the rim, with almost visible tiny particulate bits
Chris: he's staring at the glass right now
Julian: this wine's aroma is rather enticing
Chris: yeah, it's sourish
Julian: it smells a lot like pinot
Chris: does it?
Chris: hmmm
Chris: yeah, an almost stalkiness
Julian: sort of - but with a grenache-y fruitiness
Chris: so, to sum up?
Chris: kind of a Pinot-esque nose?
Chris: with a little sourness
Chris: and stalkiness
Chris: and almost a clay-ey sort of note
Julian: I think the pinot comparison comes from the fact that it's perfumed in a high-toned sort of way
Chris: Dan, anything there?
Dan: it's just sour
Chris: yeah, there is kind of a treble register perfume
Chris: yeah, I got sour right off the bat
Julian: but the underlying fruit is very much non-pinot - it has the almost confected sweetness of grenache
Chris: but then there's that weird stalkiness
Chris: ooh, confected. you should trademark that word.
Julian: yes, i get that, a stalky/sappy note
Julian: yeah, confected is my favourite word
Chris: it rules
Dan: the sweetness is just too cloying
Julian: you are finding it too sweet, Dan?
Chris: no oak influence at all. I cheated, this is tank fermented
Julian: so this is all fruit we're getting
Chris: give it some air, dan, it needs some swirling
Julian: I gotta say, I quite like it so far
Dan: too... pretentiously sweet, like sickly sweet
Chris: hm
Chris: that'd be the "confected"
Julian: that'd be it
Chris: I got that briefly, that circus peanut thing i complained about recently (for the Mollydooker)
Chris: but not much of it
Julian: no I don't find it overwhelming, but Dan seems to be coping less well with the fruit character
Dan: like an overripe plum tart
Julian: yes, it is a bit like that
Chris: and it's weird, I keep getting that earthy, clay thing sometimes too.
Chris: yeah it's fruity as all get out
Chris: kinda Dame Edna-esque
Julian: All glitter and wit
Chris: so, is the animal/stalkiness the mataro?
Julian: The sourness is fading for me
Chris: and the confected the grenache?
Dan: A cheap little fancy dessert a tourist restaurant serves you after your overpriced fish
Chris: and is the shiraz contributing anything at all?
Dan: anyway
Chris: hee
Chris: Dan says TWO THUMBS UP
Chris: Red Vines?
Julian: I'm not sure -- Barossa Grenache can be OTT fruity at times
Chris: red licorice?
Julian: definitely red fruit character, not black
Chris: very much so
Dan: there's some weird thing also that makes my nose 'open up' too
Julian: what do you mean by that, Dan?
Chris: yeah, like menthol? or spice of some kind, white pepper maybe? or allspice?
Dan: like not-quite minty
Dan: i don't know
Chris: almost hospital
Dan: like i've taken a whiff of poppers
Chris: maybe that's the shiraz, like a eucalyptus minty thing
Julian: so far we have red licorice with a hint of disinfectant.
Dan: a bit tingly
Chris: BINGO
Chris: we have a winner
Chris: totally a hint of disinfectant
Julian: But again it's a high-toned, perfumed nose with no feeling of depth.
Dan: oh god no
Dan: just all fruity frappy
Julian: indeed
Julian: well gents, shall we sip?
Chris: you bet!
Julian: let's do it
Julian: oh my
Julian: *much* more savoury in the mouth
Chris: tannins!
Julian: wow, what a difference
Julian: that is so interesting in the mouth
Julian: there's a complexity there that isn't hinted at on the nose at all
Chris: it's kind of a medium bodied wine, I think? not super huge barossa shiraz
Chris: but also not pinot
Chris: texturally it's curious....
Julian: definitely medium bodied, I'd say -- it's got substance in the mouth but it's not heavy
Dan: medium body and not much else for me other than strangeness
Julian: how do you find the texture?
Julian: Dan what do you find strange about it?
Chris: well, uh... gossamer?
Chris: it persists for a hell of a long time, too.
Dan: yea
Dan: there's no mid-weight to it
Julian: it does glide over the tongue, yes, but I also think there's a good whack of acidity in there too
Chris: sort of a sourness on the finish, black cherries or something? still very red.
Julian: you're right about the wine's length, it's very decent.
Dan: it's just all these weird light notes
Chris: that's kind of a surprise
Julian: yeah I agree, that slightly vegetal note on the nose is taking centre stage on the palate for me right now
Chris: I'm not sure I really like this particularly
Julian: what don't you like about it, Chris?
Chris: I mean, it's got kind of a unique flavor, but so does horehound
Chris: Well
Chris: It kind of starts the way it finishes?
Chris: It's sitting there like a wet fart
Julian: yeah, I know what you mean, although the flavour seems to have a few dimensions to it, it's quite linear and samey from entry to finish.
Chris: It's not huge and syrupy enough to be a typical Torbreck/Mollydooker fruit bomb
Julian: I'm wondering if some of the odd savoury character is actually sulfur/reduction
Chris: It's got, well, I don't know how to describe it. It's fruity, sure, but...
Chris: Could be, could be....
Julian: there's a bit of rubbery character to the flavour, on the palate especially
Chris: Hiro says, I don't know. It's kind of edgy, not aged enough yet, kind of too sharp for him?
Chris: Doesn't know how to describe it
Julian: it's quite a "sharp," edgy wine, I agree
Julian: Dan, how are you going with it?
Chris: Hiro says it's kind of shouting the same strong flavor from the very first, it might be interesting to have some food with this
Dan: I don't like it at all
Dan: There's no backbone to it
Julian: I agree with Hiro, it seems very much a food wine to me. Food might smooth out some of the angularity here
Dan: And there's no interesting 'flair' to it either
Julian: Do you mean nothing underpinning the flavours?
Dan: it's boring, there's nothing interesting
Chris: I just keep getting vaguely sweet, kind of same-y
Dan: it's just this odd collection of sour red fruit notes that lingers on
Dan: and there's nothing 'changing' about it; it's basically the same from start to finish
Julian: Yes, I think we're all agreed on that point. It seems to enter and exit on the same note
Chris: So is this worth $18?
Chris: Cuz I'm feeling ever so slightly shanked here
Julian: The nose seems less confected to me now, after some time in glass
Julian: Hmm, the QPR question. Hard to answer, as this style seems to me a "love it or hate it" sort of thing.
Chris: I mostly smell that bit of Mataro animalic
Julian: Yes it's gone more feral, and more aligned with the palate
Chris: Plus super bright cherry candy
Chris: it's still there if you're looking for it
Dan: this wine wants to be sold for more than what it's really worth
Julian: What food would you have with this? I'm thinking lamb cutlets or rustic bistro-style dishes
Chris: yeah, that's for damn sure.
Chris: I'm thinking saucisson sec, super pungent dried meats
Julian: So we're thinking it's a little overpriced
Chris: lots of fat
Dan: yes
Julian: Yeah, Chris, I think you're bang on with the food match
Chris: yeah, I mean seriously, Pillar Box Red is $8 and that's loads more fun that this is
Julian: charcuterie and potatoes
Chris: lamb would be good too, very gamey
Chris: or mutton
Julian: yes, something with pungency
Julian: if that's even a word
Chris: yeah, cuz this wine isn't bringing it
Chris: now it's back to simple and sweet in the mouth somehow
Chris: I also think it suffers from the lack of wood influence, honestly
Chris: some spice or added tannin would be nice
Julian: I think you'd really want to know what you're buying with this wine -- I can't quite remember what I paid for it (early $A20s I think) but in the general price bracket, there are a lot more "predictable" wines available.
Julian: ie stylistically mainstream
Chris: yeah, this wine is supposed to be A$25 I think?
Julian: so some extra depth and structure
Dan: i'm so not finishing this wine
Julian: that rings a bell
Chris: I hear you, Dan
Chris: it's kind of tragic really
Chris: I think it's the lack of oak, seriously, that's killing it
Julian: A wine that doesn't beckon you to sip again is tragic
Chris: if there ever was a textbook example of WHY WE USE WOOD CHIPS this is it
Julian: so Chris you think the style might be a bit ill judged?
Chris: I think it's a mistake, really
Chris: I wonder why. I know he made this wine for a friend that runs a bistro in Paris
Chris: perhaps he said "Make me Aussie Beaujolais" ? dunno.
Julian: I gotta say, I think I like it more than you two. It's not a worldbeater but I'm fascinated by what food matches might go with
Julian: it needs something to finish it off -- something food related
Dan: savoury is not a common American taste
Chris: yeah, I always forget that wine sometimes needs food.
Julian: it's almost "not quite a whole" on its own
Chris: Dan, I have some jamon serrano. want some?
Julian: I have some things in the fridge. let's experiment
Dan: yes
Julian: i have some prosciutto here
Julian: very 80s I know
Julian: ah, very interesting. see how you find it with food
Chris: prosciutto, Parma ham, jamon serrano, it's all the same
Chris: oh THERE we go.
Chris: it's still super confected though
Chris: but now I'm getting a tinge of actual pleasure
Chris: but shit, this is vulgar.
Julian: it is -- but the fat and salt in the ham is doing some interesting bizness with the wine
Chris: exactly
Julian: it's bringing out some extra texture, and some roundness to the fruit
Chris: also some allspice kind of notes again.
Julian: i mean it's not a different wine but it is better
Chris: it does help.
Chris: this wine is really tragic on its own, kind of like that scary dude who was married to liza minelli.
Dan: blech
Chris: no?
Julian: yeah the spice is really coming out more with the ham
Dan: i get a nasty flat note in the back of my mouth
Julian: really! do you mean a dull flavour?
Dan: yes
Dan: dull, not quite chemically
Chris: okay
Julian: perhaps the food has dulled some of the wine's liveliness too
Chris: this ham is super strong, to be sure.
Julian: indeed
Chris: but it STILL doesn't make the wine good enough for me to finish this glass.
Dan: indeed the drain will enjoy this wine, and soon
Julian: shame
Chris: yeah
Dan: what's the weather like there?
Julian: I'm going to experiment later on with this wine and pair it with a Thai curry
Chris: sounds like a good idea.
Chris: Dan, pour yours into the bottle, I wanna try it again tomorrow
Julian: the weather here is beauuutiful, and slightly windy
Dan: i'm curious about how temp and humidity affect tasting
Julian: ok, I might save a glass tonight and try again tomorrow too
Chris: bummer. I was hoping for more.
Dan: right now it's 20C in the house here and 50% humidity
Chris: I think we had the 2004 and it was really good.
Chris: this wine smells soft, too.
Julian: yes it is a slight bummer. I've read good things about the 2007 though
Chris: if you're gonna do that masculine/feminine thing , this wine is very feminine.
Dan: with flouncy Stevie Nicks collars, but it's no Stevie Nicks
Julian: perhaps it's as you say, though, Chris, and this is meant to be a more straightforward style akin to Village level Beaujolais
Julian: it's like a bad drag queen doing Stevie Nicks
Chris: totally.

Torbreck
Price: $A25/$US18
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: March 2008