2022 Torbreck Descendant

From a single vineyard planted in 1994 using cuttings from Run Rig vineyards, Descendant is a co-fermented blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier matured for 20 months in second fill French oak barriques previously used for Run Rig.

Quite possibly the best Descendant yet, this is a gorgeously seductive blend of Shiraz and Viognier.

Dense pitch black heart with a very deep dark red black hue. Soaring out of the glass with tremendous potency are intoxicating aromas of dark plum, blackberry, liquorice and dark chocolate followed by whiffs of dried apricot, toasty vanillin oak, fennel and spice. Rich and plush, the palate is a super concentrate of dark plum, blackberry, liquorice and dark chocolate with notions of honeysuckle, spicy vanillin oak and earthy fennel extending through the back half. Dense, opulently textured and possessing stunning power, it has velvet smooth tannins and an exceptionally long finish that’s pure decadence.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 15%

Other Reviews.....
The 2022 Descendant is a co-fermented blend of Shiraz and Viognier (8%), and the wine exudes masses of floral perfume, which translates accurately in the mouth. It is silky and intense; the tannins are ductile and pervasive, and yet they have a bloody, ferruginous note that makes their dispersion feel more like an infusion than a framework. It is chewy and weighty, without being heavy or swaggering. Awesome wine. Superb. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink 2025-2042.
97 points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate