2009 Australia

In contrast to Bin 707, Bin 169 is the expression of the fruit and terroir from one single region, Coonawarra, perhaps the region more closely associated with Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia than any other. Matured for 14 months in new French oak, contemporary style showing both regionality and maturation of Cabernet Sauvignon in fine grained French oak.

The nose is full of ripe Cassis and Blueberry, a hint of pencil shavings and szechuan pepper lies underneath.  The palate is medium plus bodied , a finer and more classically structured Grange with great composition and poise.  The mid palate is full of bramble fruit which leads gently into a finish of finely grained, integrated and savoury tannins and a cooling menthol acidity.
Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager

The initials RWT stand for 'Red Winemaking Trial', the name given to the project internally when developmental work for a new wine began in 1995. Unlike other Penfolds wines, RWT is sourced from a single region – the Barossa Valley - and has an opulent and fleshy style, perfumed with blueberry and blackberry fruit. It offers an admirable alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and American oak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange, expressing instead single region Barossa valley Shiraz matured only in French Oak.

Aged in French oak (50-70% new) for up to 15 months, this has a classic Barossa nose of rich, spicy black fruit with a hint of eucalyptus. On the palate, black cherry, blackberry and five spice all merge seamlessly with the oak and supple tannins. Long on the finish, this is another excellent RWT.
(Fergus Stewart, BBR Fine Wine)

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)