Northern Rhône blend

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 

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

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. Considered the flagship wine of Torbreck, Run Rig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhone Valley’s Appellation of Cote Rotie. Named one of Australia's 25 "benchmark" wines by Wine Spectator magazine. A beautiful and flawless blend of 97.5% Shiraz and 2.5% Viognier.

Opaque, glass staining & serious. An hour decanting lets the aromas flow for this beautifully constructed flagship red. At first, tightly wound but opening up with macerated red cherry, blueberry and a hint of Orange peel and Christmas cake spice. The Palate is unctuous and as full bodied as one would come to expect but still with an incredible lift and freshness on the palate. Tightly bound, svelte tannins with a vibrant black fruited and peppered length that last for 30+ seconds. Cote Rotie turned up to 11 in a very “Spinal Tap–esque” way ! Incredible persistence, a wine for the long term 2020 – 2030+.
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine Sales Manager

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)

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

This single vineyard wine, located next to the winery. Planted by Dave Powell in 1994 with cuttings off old Run Rig vineyards - some of the oldest genetic material in Australia and the World. A blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier.
 
The two Descendant grapes are co-fermented with one another and the freshness is what impresses me most of all. There is a wonderful aromatic and spicy lift from the Viognier and a brooding, black punch of flavour and weight from the Shiraz. The wine is aged for 18 months in seasoned French oak and has a huge volume of fruit characters that lingers for more than a minute. This may only be a 19 year old vineyard but the precision and depth of flavour achieved already in the (relatively) young vines is admirable. There are only 5000 bottles of this incredible wine made so do your best to secure a case.
Laura Atkinson, Fine Wine Manager

Even better, the sensational 2013 Condrieu les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay (not to be confused with George Vernay) comes from the granite soils of the La Combe lieu-dit, which is in the southern part of the appellation. Riper, richer and even more concentrated than the Combe de Malleval, it has awesome white peach, honeyed tangerine, white flowers and crushed rock to go with a seamless, elegant, full-bodied and mouth-filling profile on the palate. One of the vintage's greatest successes, it will drink well for 3-4 years.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014 One of the greatest of all Condrieus, its full name, appropriately enough, deferential to a member of the extended Vernay family, this wine is sourced from vines that were planted in 1948. Aged partly in 350-litre barrels and partly in larger 16-hectolitre foudres, the 2013 is rich yet energetic, spicy yet focused, with hints of exotic orange-like fruit tempered by a finish which recalls smoke and peat; a pleasing recollection of course.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

Stéphane has come a long way in the 12 years or so that I have known him: he now has two children, an enviable reputation and a construction project to the south of Ampuis which will result in a winery to rival that of Messrs Guigal. He has also been buying land, which is no mean feat in Côte Rôtie. The challenge of 2013 centred on the cool weather in the middle of the season. Very late green harvesting and then a rapid harvest before the rains in October were key. I recall visiting during the harvest and witnessing a maelstrom of carefully choreographed activity, if you will pardon the apparent contradiction. The effort has certainly paid off.

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.