Torbreck offers a remarkable line of wines, priced from the $20s/bottle to the $700s or so. For drinkability, I have always enjoyed the mid priced wines the best; Struie, Gask, and in particular The Steading. I found wines like Factor and Les Amis too concentrated and ripe. Sure, this is what the grapes could give, but is it enjoyable? A bit of an exception has been RunRig. This blend from originally eight outstanding and old vineyards always had a bit of magic for me. I described the structure as if built like a skyscraper, with huge fruit weight and massive tannins. But there was always some balance and remarkable complexity.
After quite an absence, I enjoyed another vintage the other day: the 2016 Torbreck RunRig. I do not want to go into much detail on the flavours here. Chocolate and charred meat are dominant. This wine is no longer the poster boy of Parker wines. Yes, it is still very big and intense, but the 2016 version is more harmonious, and simply more enjoyable to drink. It could be argued that Torbreck lost some of its magic since the departure of David Powell, the original winemaker. However, judging by this example, RunRig has been tamed a bit, and this is for the better. This wine is an outstanding example of what a full-bodied Barossa Shiraz can deliver.
Score: 96/+++
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