The 2013 Torbreck "The Laird" Shiraz is a highly acclaimed wine, consistently receiving top scores and praise from leading wine critics. While specific reviews for the 6000mL bottle are scarce (as most reviews are for the standard 750mL), the professional consensus on the 2013 vintage provides a clear picture of its exceptional quality. The larger format bottle is known to age more slowly and gracefully, suggesting the wine's potential is even greater.

Here is a summary of the best professional reviews for the 2013 Torbreck The Laird Shiraz:

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

• Score: 97 Points

• Reviewer: Joe Czerwinski

• Tasting Notes: Czerwinski describes the wine as having "power and concentration." He notes the "impressive fruit, luxurious oak, and velvety texture." Complex notes of "baking spices, licorice, and pepper add nuance to the Christmas-cake flavors" and a "savory" finish. He also commented on the wine's need for more time in the bottle, suggesting that while it's a "wonderful wine," it is still a young one with a long life ahead.

James Suckling

• Score: 97 Points

• Tasting Notes: James Suckling calls this a "hedonistic wine that has a very strong and confident style." His notes mention "rich blackberries and dark plums with a distinct tarry edge." He praises the "slippery, silky and succulent fruit flavors" on a "very concentrated and dense" palate. The finish is described as "long and suave," with a recommendation to "Try from 2030."

Wine Spectator

• Score: 94 Points

• Tasting Notes: The review from Wine Spectator highlights the wine's "expressive, plump, and velvety" character. It details "extremely concentrated flavors of blackberry, kirsch, and cassis at the core, with accents of Earl Grey Tea, dark chocolate, fresh peppermint and gingerbread." Despite its richness, it's noted for having "plenty of elegance, polish and freshness," and an "epic finish."

General Professional Consensus

The 2013 vintage in the Barossa Valley was a notably dry, early, and low-yielding year, which resulted in highly concentrated and intense fruit. This is reflected in the reviews, which consistently use words like "power," "concentration," "dense," and "rich." The wine is also known for its meticulous maturation process, spending 36 months in new French oak barriques from the prized Troncais forest, which imparts notes of baking spices, mocha, and toasted vanillin.

Overall: The 2013 Torbreck The Laird Shiraz is regarded as a powerful, full-bodied, and deeply complex wine that showcases the best of the Barossa Valley's old-vine Shiraz. It has a proven track record of high critical praise and is considered a prime candidate for long-term cellaring, with most critics suggesting it will continue to evolve and improve for many years.