Torbreck discovers rare old vines

Australian winery Torbreck has recently discovered that some extremely old vines dotted around its vineyards are not at all what they are supposed to be.

Speaking to the drinks business recently, the winery’s marketing and communications manager, Stuart Barrie, explained that looking again at some old vines in the Barossa had led to a number of surprises.

To begin with, one plot of what was supposed to be 150 year-old Ugni Blanc and was destined to be grubbed up was saved when it was found out it was in fact Clairette.

“We’re confident we’ll be able to make a few batches next year,” said Barrie.

Furthermore, a French viticulturist from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Montpellier spotted something odd in a block of 150 year-old Mataro.

Taking some cuttings for further examination, after his return to France he subsequently identified it as the very rare ‘Wildbacher de Hongrie’ – a variety which is widely believed to be extinct save for a few vines in the INRA’s collection.

Furthermore, in an email to Torbreck he said it was his belief, given the vines’ age, that it must have been a variety that was brought over in the collection of James Busby in 1832. Busby is widely regarded as the ‘father’ of Australian viticulture who brought back over 70 grape varieties from Europe in 1832 (arriving in 1833), including many cuttings from the botanical gardens in Montpellier (the INRA did not exist at this time).

However, as there are only a couple of vines there is no possibility of making a commercial wine out of them – although the grapes could be made in a very small batch for experimental purposes of course.

‘Wildbacher de Hongrie’ does not appear in Wine Grapes although it bears a very similar name to ‘Blauer Wildbacher’, an Austrian variety that is the offspring of the ubiquitous Gouais Blanc and an unknown and now probably extinct wild vine.

The addition of ‘Hungary’ to the name hints at an origin that is geographically analogous with Blauer Wildbacher, but there are other examples of grape varieties in France such as ‘Tokay Pinot Gris’ which in fact has nothing to do with Hungary or any of its own varieties. Wine Grapes makes no connection between the two grapes and they could not be exactly the same as several hundred hectraes of Blauer Wildbacher are still planted in Austria and a very little in Italy.

Finally, Barrie said the viticultural team was doing its best to save three hectares of old vine Grenache that are situated at the top of the hill planted with old Shiraz that is used to make the winery’s top label – The Laird.

The vines are being re-trained as bush vines and Barrie said, “they’re trying to improve the quality and make it into a single vineyard bottling if we can.”

Despite being a ‘New World’ country, Australia has some of the oldest vines in the world, all on original rootstocks too as phylloxera has never struck many viticultural areas in the country.