2002 - RunRig, Torbreck, Barossa Valley

The 2002 RunRig comes from a very cool/cold year in South Australia, and I am informed that the 2002 had very high malic acidity, an attribute shared by the 2022 vintage, to post a more recent comparison. Aromatically, this 2002 leads with blood plum and mulberry, dark chocolate and roasted meat. In the mouth, the acidity feels pronounced, however the analytics show very normal numbers for pH (3.59) and total acidity (5.94)—numbers that the winery would aim for in today's wines. The wine is outrageous in its freshness and comes highly (highly) recommended. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

(includes 3% viognier) Saturated, inky, opaque ruby. A ripe, roasted, porty black hole of a nose. Impossibly ripe, musky, dense aromas of dark cherry, cassis compote, blackberry confit, molasses, fruitcake, violet pastille, licorice and candied rose petal. Thick to the point of being a solid, or at least a colloid, with dense, inky, even resinous flavors of bitter chocolate, creme de mure, coffee liqueur, licorice and black cardamom, accompanied by a spice rack of accents. The finish seems to never let go, which in this case is a good thing. Sticky, palate-staining and amazingly dense, a monument to this style of syrah.(The 2002 Descendant, reviewed in Issue 115, rated 91 points on my most recent tasting.)