Winemaker Notes
Complex and lifted aromatics of dense black fruits such as blackberries, satsuma plum and black cherry cassis and mulberry complimented with dark chocolate, cacao bean vanilla pod tar and star anise and Turkish delight. The opulent full-bodied mouthfeel and vibrancy is a real standout on a plush yet mineral strewn, velvety textured palate. The complex layers and fruit characters continue to evolve in the glass with firm but drying tannins seamlessly balanced with long acid and statuesque posture and length.
Blend: 98.5% Shiraz, 1.5% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackberry, blueberry and some spice aromas here. Sandalwood and cedar. Full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate and show superb depth of concentration. Yet it’s agile and light-footed. Goes on for minutes. Tight still with illustrious depth and power. 30 months in French oak barrels. 50% new.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 RunRig hails from a hot, dry vintage, and the wine here is brooding, structurally firm and savory. The wine is thoroughly black, both in the glass and in its nature—black fruit, black spice, brooding tannins. While the 2018 may be open for business now, this should remain closed for some time yet. Rating: 96+
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Wine Spectator
Stunning, showing a polished and expressive mix of rich dark chocolate, sticky toffee pudding and cigar box nuances to a core of spiced plum, kirsch and apricot. The spice and cedar details gain momentum on the long, velvety and expressive finish, where a thread of rosemary oil lingers.
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.