The Highland clans used a ‘RunRig’ system to distribute land amongst their clansmen in a series of widely dispersed holdings. The emphasis was not on any one farm but rather the communal element of the whole. Shiraz from old dry grown Barossa vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension. RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant and tautly structured wines of Côte-Rôtie in the Northern Rhône.

The 2020 Vintage

Strong winds at flowering at the beginning of the growing season reduced berry and bunch count in many vineyards. The difficult seasonal conditions continued up to harvest: a dry winter and spring were followed by a very hot and dry December and January. Older vineyards with deeper roots remained steadfast under these conditions and produced small volumes of deeply concentrated wines from the lower yields. While the yields have been small, the overall quality has created deeply coloured and textured wines that resonate their place of origin.

Tasting Note

Aubergine core with a deep purple rim. Aromatics leap from the glass with great finesse and power yet with precision and focus. The lifted plum, black currant and dark cherry along with Turkish delight, star anise, earl grey tea and black olive combine with gorgeous plumes of subtle vanilla pod and cardamom aromas. The palate is dense, firm and powerful yet holds incredibly balanced fruit intermingled with voluminous structure. One of the better RunRigs from lower than normal yields. A wine for the cellar, best after 2025–2050. Serve at 16°C with rich flavoured cuisines.

Critic Scores

20+/20 Matthew Jukes • 99 Points The Wine Advocate

Technical Details

• Variety: 98% Shiraz, 2% Viognier
• Vineyards: 6 old-vine vineyards, assemblage
• Sub-regions: Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass, Greenock
• Harvest: 10 March – 3 April 2020
• Maturation: 30 months in new (50%), second and third fill French oak barriques, completing natural malolactic fermentation in barrel and resting on fine lees
• Alcohol: 15.5%
• Cellaring: Best after 2025–2050 (30+ years)

Large-format bottles in Torbreck’s cellar release have never left the Torbreck cellar and are wax sealed by the winery once ordered, to ensure the cork is in perfect condition.

Vintage report, tasting note and technical details: Torbreck Vintners, 2020 RunRig technical sheet (torbreck.com). Critic scores as published by Torbreck (RunRig Collection 2016–2021 release); scores refer to the wine.

Vintage 2020 | 1500mL Magnum | Barossa Valley, South Australia.