2022 Torbreck Run Rig

Gloriously decadent, voluptuously textured and explosive this is pure seduction in a glass.

Produced from a blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier, Torbreck’s Run Rig is modelled on the Northern Rhone appellation of Cote Rotie’s wines. Fruit was sourced from the Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass and Greenock districts of Barossa Valley with maturation taking place in a combination of new (50%) and older French barriques for a period of 30 months.
Spectacular colour featuring an ultra dense, inky black heart along with an equally deep black dark red hue. Intoxicating the olfactory senses are soaring aromatics of dark to black plum, liquorice, dark chocolate and vanillin oak. Earthy mocha, fennel and spice notes ensue. Extravagantly rich and voluptuous, the luxurious palate is overwhelmed by a tidal wave of dark to black plum, liquorice, blackberry liqueur and dark chocolate fruits. Mocha, subtle apricot, vanillin oak, scorched earth and spicy pepper elements sit in the background. Possessing explosive power and out of this world concentration, it has velvety tannins and a plush, skyscraper finish that seemingly never ends.
Drink over the next 8-10 years.
Alc. 15.5%

Other Reviews…..
A deeply perfumed and lifted release. Aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate, violets, iodine, porcini mushrooms, fresh herbs and an earthy, ferrous undertone. The palate is full-bodied with finely tuned tannins and a luscious and seamless mouthfeel. There is much complexity and refinement, with a high level of fruit quality. Built for the ages. Drink or hold.
98 points
JamesSuckling.com

The 2022 RunRig had 2% Viognier added to the Syrah after barrel maturation, from the current vintage. I've clarified this with winemaker Ian Hongell, because my incorrect memory ran toward skins only. Glad I asked. Aromatically, the wine is so fresh and detailed; it hints at latent power and intense concentration, but it doesn't overbear on this point. On the palate, the wine has everything we could hope for—intense, balanced red fruit, a splay of ductile tannins and such a light fluffiness to the profile that I find it most appealing indeed. The discussion here today is regarding the comparison to the great 2021 vintage. It was a freak, out-of-the-box year that blessed producers with a spot-free growing season, good yields and excellent quality fruit. The wines, for the most part, will endure through the decades with grace and ease. The 2022s are tighter, fluffier, more fruit forward and, in my opinion, slightly more delicious, but over the long term, backing the 2021s to go the distance seems the blue-chip option. We can discuss this again in 20 years (2045) when that answer will have become more clear. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast." I love this wine today. It's a superstar. 15.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax. Drink 2025-2042.
98 points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

I guess you could call the RunRig a modern Barossa classic. 98/2% shiraz/viognier, it's an epic wine, a solid plinth of black and blues fruits deeply etched with exotic spice and earth. Hints of clove, star anise, Old Gold chocolate, licorice, pan juices, earth, dried meats, rose petals, black tea and graphite. Unctuous with great length of flavour and fine, silty tannins suffusing through the wine, it's a study in power and purity, light and shade and all that is great about ancient Barossa shiraz vines. Another great RunRig release. Drink by 2045.
97 points
Dave Brookes – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion