Rockford, Black Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Wow, just wow!! This Rockford Basket-press Australian Shiraz after 16 years is an amazing wine. Unfortunately, I just have one that I brought back from one of my many trips to Australia. Glad I had the patience. Look at the cork, look at the rim, still big dark fruit, spice, tannins are relaxed, and the wine is well balanced and delicious. Wine color is bright, the flavors were fruity with some spice and amazingly still fresh. A perfect wine to …

2009 vintage

I found this wine a near perfect expression of Barossa Shiraz. A 16 y.o. Wine that was right at its peak, very well balanced, all the hallmarks of a great BS. I’d suspect it’s not getting any better, so enjoy now if you have some.

2009 vintage

Old wine, with a surprising amount of mousse. Leather, fruitcake and berries on the nose. Soft, fruity palate, with berries, jubes and gentle spices.

2002 vintage

A touch tired, but not bad. Was better as a slightly younger wine, from memory.

2009 vintage

Remains fresh, but now restrained. Excellent, approaching its peak I suspect

2009 vintage

Played a little under lofty expectations. Mid weight, settled but a line of nervy astringency put me off a bit. Got better of very time. Relaxed drinking with no obvious structural (oak, tannin) notes. won't get much better.

2009 vintage

Lovely pungent light fruit nose, which went on and on through the bottle. Still heavy on tannin, get the feeling it is still young at 12yo. Delicious balance on the palate of crushed fruit, toasty oak against the still dominant tannins. Wonderful.

2009 vintage

The epitome of Barossa Shiraz. Fresh raspberry and blackberry, well integrated American oak, earthy and a touch of burnt rubber. Slightly dumb. On the palate, balanced, smooth and developed, with a slight bitter burnt rubber finish. Currently well resolved and savoury. It is excellent wine, with a lovely liqueur-like aspect. The balance is outstanding, and the savoury nature of the wine is a wonderful expression of a great terroir, interpreted in an old-school manner.

2009 vintage

Appearance: Dark purple/mahogany. Nose: stewed fruits, oak and spice. P: intense, full bodied, a bit overcooked. Not the best vintage in the Barossa if memory serves me right. Very good but a bit disappointing.

2009 vintage

Still too much acidity for me. Going the same way as Wolf Blass Black Label. So if you like that style you will love this wine. For me too much and not great balance

2009 vintage

Raspberries, raspberry jam, red currant jelly, nice sweetness and great length. Fantastic future for this wine

2009 vintage

Nose shows powerful notes of black fruit, earth, leather, and smoke. Palate has a smooth structure: broad tannin, firm acidity, clean alcohol. Powerful flavours of blackcurrant, leather, compost, and cumin, with a hint of sour cream. Smooth, powerful, and complex; everything you want.

2009 vintage

Very fruity with sweet spicy. Powerful and intense body with complex flavour. Firm structure. Medium + finish

2009 vintage

Deepest darkest Balck fruits swirled in vanilla oak thickened with cacoa powder Thick deep sweetness at the front, just hints of liquorice furry powdered tannin and just a hint of overt acid although more than carried by fruit depth. Definitely swathes of salinity too

2009 vintage

Has some nice underlying fruit but way too much oak for me. Didn’t find the acid too big of a problem but just didn’t feel in balance to me and unsure it will get there. Felt heavy and clumsy.

2009 vintage

Absolutely outstanding, old school Barossa Shiraz. Soft, savoury, balanced, nuanced, cedar. Lifted. This is big but elegant. Drinks extremely well, but will age to further grace.

2009 vintage

Open for business though surely will benefit from age, too. Expansive nose, with some heat evident along with the sweet red fruit and a touch of stalkiness. Rich and textured palate, mostly peppered berry and spice notes, a touch green, and showing its alcohol. I expect it to smooth out nicely in time. Delicious stuff.

2009 vintage

Classic barossa shiraz. Good berry tones, and had aged well, and although 8 years old, it would benefit from further cellaring.

2009 vintage

Hmm. See the notes below which give a good description. I suspect this is just too early. My concern is the excess acidity which we see in famous Aussie Shiraz. Not as bad as some though so if I intend to leave for 4 years

2009 vintage

I enjoyed this. Good fruit and well balanced. I thought somewhat elegant for a Barossa Shiraz.

2009 vintage

Ripe and sweet aromas of red and black berries, plums, cooked fruit, little herbal spiciness and present oak. Ripe, juicy and of present alcohol on the palate. Fairly broad, while lacking structure and focus. A rather disappointing classic.

2009 vintage

Nose of compote, ripe fruits, spice, licorice. Palate with notes of ripe fruits, jam, compote, spice, blueberry, blackberry. Good balance, not overwrought and tortured.

2009 vintage

Outstanding with european style cold cuts on the 24th Dec

2009 vintage

On a positive note this is not a syrupy "chocolate milkshake" sort of Barossa shiraz. However it's a disappointment after recently trying the 2001. It finishes with nice leathery mature Barossa shiraz flavour, but the nose and front/mid palate are muted/reticent. There is noticeable added acidity and this just swamps things. Makes me think that they had a problem of having to leave the grapes for too long (high alcohol and low acid) to get ripeness, which they compensated for …

2009 vintage

Basket Press Vertical : Aromatically shy at first, it did open up with time to show cherry, stalk, menthol, musky spice but also so alcohol heat. The palate has some plushness in contrast to the nose. It has high acid and grip, it just all feels a bit disjointed right now.

2009 vintage

Rubin- granatrot Nase: fruchtig, schwarze und rote Beeren (Himbeeren, Johannisbeere, ...), Holz, Alkohol Geschmack: voll, langer Abgang, mittlere Säure plus, Tannin mittel plus, schwarze Früchte Allgemein: sehr gut, noch zu jung, braucht 3-5 Jahre, nicht zuviel Holz, gute Frucht

2009 vintage

92+ Dunkles Rot. Strömt einem von Anfang an viel Frucht entgegen. Kirsch-Brombeermischung,würzig,Pfeffer,eher warm leicht alkoholisch. Knackige Säure,mittlerer Level doch leicht zäher Tannine,voller Körper,konzentriert besitzt Kraft,unaufdringliche Eiche. Später Lakritzekomponente,langer würziger Abgang,sicher gutes Alterungspotential. Bad english Dark red. from begin many fruit flavours. Mixed Cherries-black berries fruits,spicy,pepper,easy hot alcoholic?. Crispy acid,chewy tannins,full- bodied,concentrated,possesses power,integrated oak. After hours licorice,long spicy aftertaste. Many good aging potential.

2009 vintage

A good disgorgement of Black. Right now probably at its best. Classic black fruit, savoury leather hints and BArossa Choc - drink now before the leathery flavours subsume the fruit

2009 vintage

This wine is always a cut above other (cheaper) sparkling shiraz's. The hint of sweetness, the fine bubbles, and of course the taste make it an outstanding wine. [cork, 13.5% alc]

2009 vintage

2002 disgorged sparkling shiraz - a great wine Went perfectly with lamb kofta/mougrahbia/ balsamic tomatoes for Australia Day

2002 vintage

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Rockford, Black Shiraz, Barossa Valley

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