Torbreck Run Rig 2004

The Wine Advocate rating: 99

Varietal 96.5% Shiraz- 3.5% Viognier Closure Cork Size 750ml Alc/Vol 14.5% Enjoy Now - 2030 The Run Rig 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. The 2004 Run Rig- although wonderfully aromatic like its predecessors- is a wine that exhibits soo much power and latent richness that it could easily be mistaken for the huge concentrated wines sourced from the sun drenched hill of Hermitage. Possessing a dense- saturated- almost ink like hue- the read more...aromas of black raspberries- crème de cassis- smoke- graphite and melted tar soar from the glass. Full bodied with great intensity- amazing freshness and extraordinary concentration- the multi layered palate displays the fruit purity that only the most fastidious farming can achieve. Hints of homemade marmalade- scorched earth and slow roasted meats later emerge with time in the glass. Although extremely intense- the wines power is cloaked within its balance and concentration surging forth as an expansive sensation- the way only great wines can. The 2004 Run Rig will greatly reward those with patients. What the critics think The estate's flagship cuvee is the virtually perfect 2003 Run Rig. Made from 8 separate Barossa vineyards (ranging in age from 94 to 158 years)- it is primarily Shiraz with 4-5% co-fermented Viognier included in the blend. The wine was aged in French oak of which 60% is new. The sensational- inky/purple-tinged 2003 exhibits a stunningly sweet nose of blackberries- blueberries- litchi nuts- smoked meats- and a hint of apricots. Elegant yet super-powerful- rich- concentrated- and long- it is a tour de force in winemaking as well as a modern classic example of Barossa Shiraz. It should drink well for 20-25 years. Rating: 99 points Robert Parker Jr. The Wine Advocate #167 Oct 2006 2003 Run Rig (includes 5% viognier) Inky violet. Explosively aromatic nose offers the full range of red and black fruits- along with notes of candied violet- cinnamon- mace- star anise and exotic tobacco. Hugely concentrated and velvety but also remarkably precise and energetic- with very pure flavors of blackberry- boysenberry- plum preserve and kirsch Ripe- explosive and deep on the back; as rich and sweet as this is- it's not at all thick or cloying. A real balancing act of power and purity. The tannins are completely buffered by the wine's sheer concentration of fruit. I'd give this at least five years of cellaring to gain in complexity. As impressive to my palate as the superb 2002 version. 94/100 Josh Raynolds - International Wine Cellar- Jul/Aug 06 Torbreck RunRig 2003 Background: In many ways it's a wine that breaks the rules - accepted wisdom is that when you make a shiraz-viognier blend (as this famously is) you should ferment the shiraz and the viognier together- so that they're married in the blend from the start. This takes no such tack. The shiraz is fermented separate and then aged in all French oak- (blessedly) only 60% of it new. The viognier is fermented and treated separately- indeed itself spending time in oak- roughly around six months. The two don't come together until a few months prior to bottling- when they're blended- the viognier forming about 3% of the final wine. REVIEW: I don't like the 2003 Barossan vintage. It's largely a dog of a year. This wine though completely thumbs its nose at that- its silken class obvious in every drop - you hear a lot of people say that it's difficult to drink more than a glass of big Barossan reds (what absolute rubbish) but my wife and I knocked back a bottle of this in about 25 minutes flat. Blueberry- coffee- cedar- plums dripping with ripe juice- chocolate- meat bathing in a blackcurrant sauce- a mere hint of portiness and an aromatic marmalade-like lift that is subtle more than overt. I would not call this massively concentrated- even though it's clearly a full-bodied wine- and has a melt of oozing tannin the likes of which any red wine lover should crave. I'd call it immaculate. Drink: 2007-2017. 96 points. Winefront Monthly Reviews - February 2006    (hide)

May 2009

Not sure where everyone is getting their percentages, the '04 was 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier, nevertheless, it is delicioius.

June 2009

Wine Enthusiast rating: 98

No written review

January 2008

No written review

June 2009

Rating: 99/100 - As reviewed by The Wine Advocate

No written review

May 2008

Rating: 95/100 - As reviewed by International Wine Cellar

Rating: 98/100 - As reviewed by Wine Enthusiast

No written review

May 2008