Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2001 vintage. 6.7.26. — 18 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

Vintage 2021 — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Torbreck The Descendant Shiraz–Viognier 2022
Barossa Valley, South Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A seductive, Rhône-inspired blend of approximately 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier, showcasing aromatic lift, silkiness, and elegant power. The Descendant leans into finesse and perfume while retaining serious Barossa depth, delivering a beautifully polished expression that feels expressive, vibrant, and effortlessly compelling.

Aromas & Flavors
Lifted floral aromatics of violet, lavender, and rose petal lead, followed by ripe red and black berries, dark cherry, blueberry compote, and hints of baking spice and white pepper. The palate is silky and layered with juicy fruit, subtle savory notes, gentle cocoa, and a lingering floral-driven finish.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus to full-bodied with a supple, flowing texture and refined tannin structure. The Viognier brings brightness and aromatic tension, keeping the wine lively, polished, and graceful despite its natural richness.

Food Pairings
Herb-crusted lamb rack. Duck breast with cherry or plum glaze. Grilled pork tenderloin. Moroccan-spiced lamb tagine. Semi-firm alpine cheeses or aged sheep’s milk cheeses.

Verdict
Elegant, aromatic, and beautifully balanced, this is a wine that highlights the sensual side of Barossa Shiraz while preserving depth and complexity. A compelling, refined expression that offers immediate pleasure and excellent aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Descendant follows the Côte-Rôtie tradition of co-fermenting Shiraz with a meaningful portion of Viognier, enhancing aromatic intensity, mouthfeel, and freshness while maintaining structural integrity.

🍷 Personal Pick
A stunning wine that delivers perfume, polish, and charm in every glass. An exceptional expression for those who love Rhône elegance layered onto Barossa generosity.
— 5 months ago

Shay A

9.2

Bought at the KV tasting room outside of Seattle a few years ago. Fun visit as they have plenty of wine to meet your palate needs!

I opened this as part of a GSM blind taste. There were 12 wines, including an ‘07 Cayuse GOK, ‘12 No Girls Syrah, ‘21 Allbaer Syrah, ‘12 Torbreck Struie, etc.

Out of 12, this tied for second. This took the bigger profile of the ‘07 GOK, added a juicy fruit factor, removed a kiss of funk, and tada! Double decanted two hours before taste. Translucent ruby in the glass. Aromatics of black peppered rhubarb, green/herbal twang, and cured meat (not overly meaty though). Beautifully elegant profile (and appropriate for Grenache) showing great acidity, whole cluster, with spicy strawberry, sweet jerky and no trace of oak. Defining characteristic of this wine is juicy red fruit framed by black pepper spice. Good now with decant.

92+ — 2 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.4

The battle of the Syrah versus the Shiraz. This time Shiraz from Torbreck won (the Factor). The Royal City Syrah was just as complex but the bold fruit and its sweetness were hiding some of the underlying earthy and mineral notes. Almost a bit out of balance. Still really good and made us fight over the last drop with our friends. — 6 years ago

with Todd and Tammy

Bob McDonald

9.1

Delectable - this is a new Cuvée for Torbreck brought to the Toowoomba Wine Show Dinner by Torbreck winemaker Greg McGill. This was the 2017 Hillside Grenache. A good Grenache but I still think McLaren Vale is better for the variety than the Barossa. — 7 years ago

Mark S.

8.9

Good balanced.
Torbreck Vintners Brossa Valley Cuvee Juveniles 22 @1000, Evac, 260501
— 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

10

Torbreck RunRig Shiraz–Viognier 2021
Barossa Valley, South Australia 🇦🇺

Overview: 
A monumental Barossa Rhône-inspired powerhouse blend of approximately 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier, delivering extraordinary depth, concentration, and architectural structure while retaining aromatic lift and finesse. This is Barossa at its most commanding yet disciplined, massive fruit density wrapped in precision, energy, and length. A wine that commands attention, rewards contemplation, and delivers relentless momentum from first sip to finish.

Aromas & Flavors: 
Explosive black plum, blackberry compote, cassis, and dark cherry saturate the nose, layered with violets, smoked spice, cocoa nib, graphite, and subtle savory meat tones. The palate unfolds in waves of black fruit intensity, crushed stone minerality, licorice, espresso, and warm spice, finishing long, deep, and persistently resonant.

Mouthfeel: 
Full-bodied, muscular, and impeccably structured with commanding tannins that feel polished rather than aggressive. Immense mid-palate density is balanced by freshness and lift, creating a sense of power without heaviness. The texture is authoritative, layered, and built for long-term evolution.

Food Pairings: 
Dry-aged ribeye or wagyu. Slow-braised lamb shank with rosemary and garlic. Venison with black cherry reduction. Smoked brisket. Aged hard cheeses such as Comté, Manchego, or aged Gouda.

Verdict: 
A truly elite expression of modern Barossa Shiraz, concentrated, complex, and unapologetically serious while remaining beautifully balanced and energetic. This is a reference-point wine that delivers immediate impact and exceptional cellar potential.

Did You Know?: 
RunRig is sourced from some of Barossa’s oldest and most revered Shiraz vineyards, with Viognier co-fermented in the traditional Northern Rhône style to enhance aromatic complexity, texture, and freshness.

🍷 Personal Pick: 
This wine completely captured my heart 100%, layered, commanding, and dangerously irresistible. One of those bottles that makes restraint impossible and reminds you why great wine can be genuinely emotional. A true benchmark experience.
— 5 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

12/2025. Bold and smooth. Nice on the palate. Paired well with the dry aged ribeye at Halls Chophouse. — 7 months ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.2

Aussie porch pounder
Suckling 94
The Roussanne was aged in stainless steel, while the Marsanne and Viognier aged on the fine lees for 8 months in a combination of seasoned and new French oak barriques.

Inspired by the rich, luscious and mineral scented dry whites of the Rhône Valley, The Steading - Blanc is sourced entirely from the Descendant Vineyard on Roennfeldt Road first planted in 1994 on the Torbreck estate. The ripe, fleshy, barrel fermented Viognier and Marsanne gives the palate a textural edge whilst the Roussanne contributes it’s more flinty and austere personality." - WINERY NOTES — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Mid crimson in colour. Earthy smoky notes with more forest floor than red fruit notes. These earthy notes come through on the palate finishing with a slight astringency. Good structure but requires a more red fruited presence on the palate I feel. A well credentialed producer from Martinborough better known for their high quality individual Cuvées like Kupe. Long time wine maker is Australian Larry McKenna. Footnote: Just discovered that Escarpment is now owned by Torbreck Vintners (South Australia). — 5 years ago

Gordon McGregor

9.0

Hot stuff. — 7 years ago

Sam Friedland

9.1

Very nice, cherries, mild tannins. — 4 months ago

Neil Hutt

10

Birthday wine from Dan Selman, absolutely bloody lovely — 5 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.2

1/2026. Nice Shiraz. Good fruit with some chocolate. Bold and nice on the palate. — 6 months ago

Ron R

9.3

All the right components, but we approached this too soon. Presented as tight the whole evening. Probably requires another 3 - 5 years in the bottle.
Thanks for this awesome specimen. — 6 months ago

with Andrew and Rick

Ed Chin

9.4

The added semillon adds to the aromatics nicely. Still a bruiser at this point and could benefit with some age given how lush the fruit is. — 9 months ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Not up there with Torbreck, but still a worthwhile purchase.

The single vineyard wines begin with the 2007 Shiraz Barney s Block McMurtrie Road in McLaren Vale. It was aged in 50% new French oak for 20 months. Opaque purple-colored, — 5 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.2

Rich, classic Barossa Shiraz. Jammy with a spicy dry edge. Cedar drenched strawberries comes to mind. Perhaps doesn’t sound appetizing but it provided a nice lingering flavor in the finish. — 6 years ago

with Tammy

Steven Lee

9.3

Fried bee hoon war. Same vineyard as torbreck the laird. Very good. Dark fruit, heavy, brooding, anise, vanila, liquorice, sweet, chinese soy sauce, hint of chinese tea leave, velvety, chocolate and multilayer complexity. Can go for few more years — 8 years ago