Northern Rhône blend

This is the first time we have persuaded Christine to allow us to offer this superb Côte Rôtie En Primeur. Quite a coup! The eponymous granitic lieu-dit (aka cadastre) is located in the southern Tupins-et- Semons commune and there is a small undisclosed percentage of Viognier in the blend. As always elegance is key, with raspberry, pit-cherry aromatics and an intense velvet-clad palate, which has great potential.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer 

Christine Vernay is close to being a perfectionist, so close in fact that she is sometimes reluctant to taste wines that have not been bottled for fear either of the fact that the work in progress will inevitably differ to a greater or lesser degree from the finished article or that the sample will be poor. To my mind, however, it’s like looking at a work of art, a Holbein drawing say, and then the finished painting. Both are sublime and the appreciation of the former informs that of the later. So it is with these exceptional wines; for Christine 2012 is an improvement on 2011. It flatters but it does not deceive.

Co-fermented with a splash of Viognier, the 2007 Run Rig gives a very deep garnet-purple color and a perfumed nose of warm cassis, crushed blackberries and blueberries over anise, cassia, cloves, tea leaves, rose hips plus earthy hints of black truffles and tilled loam. The full-bodied palate offers rich, ripe but not over-ripe fruit with a taut structure of firm grainy tannins and crisp acid, finishing very long with a gamey / savory character coming through with some cedar and baking spices.

Not a man known for his modesty, David Powell was notably less humble than usual during my recent visit. That overly confident smirk that he wears when he’s about to reveal a winning hand has no doubt incited more than a few barroom riots. It was only human nature that I was subconsciously willing his current releases to be even a little underwhelming. And I almost wish I could tell you they were. If his demeanor can at times be enough to set bloods boiling, before I get to the tasting notes I’ll inject a few words about what does impress me about Powell.

He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what happens in his vineyards, perhaps more so than in the winery. He has close relationships with his growers and calls the shots when it comes to vineyard management, recently telling me he had to end the contract with a grower of a fabulous vineyard of ancient vines this year because the grower simply refused to follow his instructions. The structures of his red wines particularly stand out to me.

Through developing an individual approach to tannin management and extracting a quality and texture of tannins that comes purely from grape skins that are carefully reared and harvested within a tight window of ripening, he creates some truly iconic reds…though even at the more modestly priced wines can age very gracefully. Finally Powell does not release wines that aren’t up to his high standards and as smug as he can be about his successes...
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate # 192 Dec 2010

RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie.  A beautiful and flawless blend of 98.5% Shiraz and 1.5% Viognier.

Very serious Old Vine Shiraz (the oldest vines are over 100 years old), this is dark and pure with mineral laced black and blueberry fruit with notes of violets, anise, pepper and scorched earth.  Full bodied, layer upon layer of fruit but not overdone – the wizardry here to produce such a dense and opulent wine which somehow remains pacy, light on its feet; real finesse. Fine, silky tannin and crisp acidity. 
A few percent of the Viognier grape is added to the blend, lifting the aromatics and injecting even more vigour. A Runrig showing the power we expect with remarkable refinement. Drink 2019 – 2045+
Martyn Rolph, Sales Manager

The Blonde de Seigneur Cuvée is sourced from the southern grantic end of the appellation and contains 7% Viognier. Christine Vernay has achieved a wonderfully elegant wine, careless of the tannic potential of 2007, but in no way lacking structure and depth. A pleasant pepper and cassis attack leads to a harmonious and well-rounded palate.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie.  A beautiful and flawless blend of 97.5% Shiraz and 2.5% Viognier.
 
A brooding darkness of morello cherry, blackberry fruits, spiced apricots and olive tapenade on the nose gives a hint at the serious beast of a wine we are about to encounter.  The palate is powerful with a huge mid palate of taught tannins and acidity, perfectly matched by a rich core of fruit, dark chocolate and espresso.  A beguiling, multi-faceted wine. One for the long haul, drink 2018 – 2030.
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine Manager
 
For me, the finest wine of Torbreck and one of the most impressive New World wines you could ever hope to taste. There’s a dash of Viognier here to enliven and lift the aromatics, but it’s the old vine Shiraz driven rich, black fruit characters, chocolate, liquorice and spice notes which set the tone. Layer after layer, this is super charged but somehow a sense of precision and finesse remains. The real joy of the great Torbreck wines is the marriage of texture and big dark flavours with a refinement, balance and poise rarely seen in the Barossa.
Martyn Rolph, Fine Wine Manager

The flagship 2004 Run Rig is 96.5% Shiraz and 3.5% Viognier with the Shiraz component aged for 30 months in a mixture of new and used French oak. Yields were a minuscule 14 hl/ha (about 1 ton per acre). Saturated opaque purple/black, it has a remarkably kinky, exotic perfume of fresh asphalt, pencil lead, smoke, pepper, game, blueberry and black raspberry. Full-bodied and voluptuous in the mouth, the wine is dense and packed, with amazing purity, sweet tannins, and a complex collection of sensory stimuli. The wine demands 10 years of cellaring.

Torbreck, under the leadership of owner/winemaker David Powell, remains a Barossa Valley benchmark as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates. The top cuvees are limited production and expensive but there are also some outstanding values in the portfolio. With regard to the current vintages for the Barossa red wines, David Powell states “? 2004 is more savory while 2005 has more purity and definition. 2004 is more classic, 2005 will take longer to come around.
Jay Miller - Wine Advocate #173 Oct 2007 

This single vineyard wine, located next to the winery. Planted by Dave Powell in 1994 with cuttings of old Run Rig vineyards - some of the oldest genetic material in Australia and the World. A blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier. Impenetrable, opaque core.

This stands out from Torbreck’s other 2012s in that it has a more singularly fruit focused nose of sweet, rich, dark plum and cherry and some attractive stewed notes in the background. A velvety smooth cloak of chocolate and vanilla hides an almost minty freshness beneath but this is about as close as one can get to Black Forest Gateau in a glass. A decadently delicious Descendant. 2018 – 2025+
Peter Newton, Private Account Manager

According to Robert Parker, “Torbreck remains a Barossa Valley benchmark, as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates.” The wines of Torbreck have a very strong Berry Bros. & Rudd staff following. We whole heartedly agree with Robert Parker (above) and Neal Martin when he says “….this is one of my favourite Australian wines, big and bold like many others, but each wine imbued with its own individuality.”

Torbreck is one of the most iconic estates in Australia and they craft a large yet quality-driven portfolio ranging from the deliciously dry Steading blanc and juicy Cotes du Rhone styled “Cuvee Juveniles” to the vinous colossi that are “RunRig” and “The Laird”. Balance is the key to these wines. This is a quality that often eludes the wines from hotter regions such as the Barossa Valley. With only good soil and middle age vines it is easy to make blockbuster reds in the Barossa; what is very difficult is to make wines with power combined with balance, lift and purity that comes with the very best old vines. It is this balance of power and purity that is the hallmark of Torbreck wines and, quite simply, this is why we like them so much. All the wines are impressive, and the estate deserves all the praise it gets.

A single vineyard planted in 1994 with cuttings from old RinRig vines (hence the Descendant) – some of the oldest genetic material in Australia. This is Barossa’s first co-fermented Shiraz/Viognier – the Shiraz is crushed directly on top of lightly pressed Viognier, fermented then matured for eighteen months in barrels previously used for RunRig.

Deep red clay soils give the wine a savoury edge and a rich texture, with silk-like mouthfeel. This will age impeccably well for those that have the patience.

2009 proved to be a stunning vintage for Torbreck and this RunRig promises to be one of the best we have ever made. The growing season was ideal during flowering and fruit set and some shatter in the shiraz restricted yields in some of our key blocks. A heat wave in late January and early February was followed by perfectly mild and dry conditions, allowing the vines to recover and the fruit to ripen slowly. Through this period we were patient allowing us to pick our old vine RunRig parcels when they were flawlessly ripe.

These factors culminated in the development of some incredible aromatics in the wine, so much so that we decided the Shiraz in 2009 did not require its usual addition of Viognier. The tannin structure is beautiful and the wine flows effortlessly from wonderful perfume to a lithe, dense and complex palate. This wine will prove to be one of the truly great RunRigs.
(Torbreck Vintners)