Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz Viognier 2016 Barossa Valley, South Australia Australia

The 100 Point 2016 Torbreck Run Rig is made from 98% Shiraz, 2% Viognier 6 Vineyards, assemblage Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass spending 30 months on new (50%), second fill and third fill French oak barriques, completing a natural malolactic fermentation in barrel and resting on fine lees throughout maturation to enhance texture

Colour - Crimson and deep purple hues Cherry plum, dark chocolate, mulberry and five-spice with savoury tones Full bodied, firm tannins that interplay with a generous, silky, textural midpalate weight. On the palate (taste) the finish is firm and persistent. If you have the patience to wait 15 to 20 years this wine will just get better and better over time. For the wine investors – I would consider this almost as secure investing in gold bullion.

The Highland clans used a ‘RunRig’ system to distribute land amongst their clansmen in a series of widely dispersed holdings. The emphasis was not on any one farm but rather the communal element of the whole. Shiraz from old dry grown vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension.

Vintage review: Despite a dry winter during 2015, rains in January and March 2016, freshened the older vines and provided long, slow ripening periods in between, which led to a stand-out vintage with high quality fruit.

Tasting: Intense, lifted aromatics of dense blueberries and blackberries dark chocolate all come to the fore with an opulent profile of mulberry plum and five-spice. A plush and velvety textured palate of red cherry and stone fruits, clove all interwoven with hints of dark chocolate. The complex layers and fruit characters continue to evolve in the glass with hints of ironstone, anise, blackberry and pepper all becoming more persistent in the finish. This densely textured Run Rig will certainly reward those with patience.

Wine Reviews:

Wine Advocate rated the 2016 Run Rig a perfect 100 Points: Barossa Valley, South Australia VARIETY: Shiraz, Viognier A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier made just prior to bottling, the 2016 RunRig is a complete masterpiece. It kicks off with elegant notes of pencil shavings accenting blueberries and blackberries on the nose, then shows incredible, palate-staining intensity of fruit in the mouth. It’s full-bodied, plush and velvety without being unstructured and manages to be fruit-forward yet savory on the long-lasting finish, where it picks up hints of mocha and black olives. This should be drinkable with pleasure throughout its entire two decade life (it may live longer from cold cellars or in larger formats), but if I were lucky enough to have a bottle or two, I’d try the first one about 10 years out.