Winemaker Notes
Intense, perfumed fruits with an underlying layer of lavender and spice. Dense dark cherry and blueberry fruit are perfectly interwoven with subtle nuances of white peach, spice, and cinnamon. Full-bodied with great concentration, yet retaining soft supple tannins this suave wine has impeccable balance. Of all the Torbreck wines the Descendent needs patient cellaring. Its immediate charm can be enjoyed upon release with just a few hours breathing, but we recommend locking the other bottles away for at least five years to enjoy its full potential, cellaring for the next 15 years plus.
Blend: 92% Shiraz, 8% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Super tarry with a coal, smoky edge. It is bursting with aromas of blackberries and dark plums, as well as a dark-spice thread and plenty of black licorice. The palate has deep flavors in a smooth, fleshy medium-bodied frame. Impressive concentration, deep ripeness and a long future. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The full-bodied 2015 Descendant features layers of dark berry and plum fruit, scorched earth, black olives and roasted meat, among other things. It's dense, rich and concentrated, slowly developing in the glass to reveal hints of licorice and pepper on the firm finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Torbreck’s next tier down from its premium RunRig is once again a massive yet characterful and complex wine. A nose of coffee, grilled red and black fruit, meat and a myriad ground spices wrap around an earthy core. Satiny in texture with heaps of toasty oak, the fruit is concentrated and the tannins are structured with a lovely texture. Still a baby, this will cellar for many years: 2021– 2034 and likely beyond.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.