2004 Torbreck Shiraz RunRig

The largest scaled in the lineup, with the textbook volatile acidity that I always seem to find in this cuvee, the ’04 Torbreck Run Rig is a behemoth and shows massive aromas of violets, plum, blood, and smoke that give way to a full-bodied, unctuous, and staggeringly textured Syrah. While not for the faint of heart, this has real balance and depth on the palate, and shows brilliant underlying structure, ripe tannin, and a blockbuster finish. I’m a huge fan and this is up there with the ’01 Run Rig in terms of quality. A blend of the top barrels from different vineyards, this is awesome stuff and do not let any Aussie bias cause you to miss this wine!

96.5% Shiraz, 3.5% Viognier. Each of the eight parcels of fruit were destemmed into both wooden and concrete open top fermenters where they were spent six to seven days on skins. After basket pressing the wine was run directly into both new and old French barriques, where they spent 30 months with minimal racking. During the final assemblage, a small addition (3.5%) of estate-grown Viognier was added and the wine was later bottled without filtration or fining. RS 4.3 g/l, TA 6.81 g/l, pH 3.62. Dark and smudgy. Very ripe dark fruit but also earthy and peppery. Rich and powerful but also juicy and voluptuous. Slightly stemmy but I think this will become more complex with time. (JH)

Inky ruby. Hugely aromatic, pungent bouquet of dark berries, kirsch, fresh flowers, licorice and minerals. Expansive dark fruit flavors completely suffuse the palate and are brightened by vibrant notes of fresh flowers and graphite. Wonderfully creamy in texture, with no rough edges. Tannins slowly sneak in on the finish, adding structure to this dramatically concentrated, sappy shiraz. The persistence of fruit here is amazing. (JR)