Three top bottles from Australian winemaker David Powell’s new venture with son Callum
Four years after his controversial exit from Torbreck, the winery he founded in 1994, the irrepressible Powell is back, with son Callum in tow, making cool-climate wines that blend power with elegance
With his imposing stature, ponytail and cigarette in hand, David Powell stands out in a crowded room.
Asked about the impact of smoking on his tasting abilities, the Australian winemaker, not one for political correctness, replies: “My palate has adjusted to the tobacco.” And the quality of his wines supports this assertion.
Powell started in the wine business in 1992. Two years later, he established his own winery, Torbreck, named after a Scottish forest where he worked as a lumberjack. His first wine, RunRig, was an instant success, having received top points in critic Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Having lost control of Torbreck in 2013, Powell has just launched a new wine venture, Powell & Son, in South Australia, partnering with his elder son, Callum.
This time around Powell is doing things differently. Production is limited – about 12,000 cases – and the winemaker intends to keep it that way so they can “do everything on their own”.