2003 Torbreck Run Rig Magnum (1500ml)

Made from a blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Viognier with some of the vines up to 140 years old this wine was matured for 30 months in 60% new French Oak with the remainder being seasoned. The 3% estate grown Viognier is fermented and aged for 6 months in barrel and then added to the blend just prior to bottling.

Totally opaque black dark red colour with very deep dark red hue verging on brick red. The nose is an exotic delight with perfumed aromas of ripe dark plum, blackberry, smoky vanilla, liquorice allsorts and dark chocolate followed by a beautifully integrated hint of honeyed apricot. Explosive, voluptuously concentrated palate with flavours of exotic dark plum, blackberry, liquorice allsorts and confectionary all seamlessly interwoven followed by some blackpepper and spice. Opulently textured with supple velvet like tannins. Superb depth with exceptionally long aftertaste of dark ripe plum, liquorice allsorts, confectionary and smoky vanilla.
Drink over the next 5-6 years (2010-2016)
Alc 14.5%

Other Reviews….
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.
99 points
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006)

Retasted May 2008 at the ‘Great Wall of China Dinner’.
‘Most surprising for me, my wife, who generally does not like the big Australian Shiraz, thought the wine of the night was the 2003 Torbreck Run Rig. I know this wine very well, and this may have been the finest bottle of this cuvée I have yet tasted. Perhaps it was the Great Wall ambiance or the extraordinary rendition of rabbit presented several different ways, but this wine hit on all cylinders. It didn’t lose a beat coming after the perfect Côte Rôtie.
100 points
Robert Parker