TN: Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2004

Jay60A · Post by **Jay60A** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:19 am

I've been on a riesling pig-out but it's been a long week and time to reward myself. First thing to note is please decant this wine - it does need it and it has taken four hours to settle down ... this is an intensely satisfying wine that if you like Barossa shiraz then you'll find hard to beat.

Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2004 Intense and seductive nose that you can sniff a long time - deep and hard to unravel but still very lively - strawberries, wine gums and hints of icing sugar keep it fresh and interesting. On the palate it's classic Rockford - not a heavy weight at all but full of class, plums, cola, turkish delight. It's very long in a fine and fragrant way rather than trying to overpower you with oak tannin and alcohol , finishes savoury and is simply a lovely wine. No word of warning other than it's a 2004, the tannins are built to last and consequently do what I couldn't - leave it alone. Come back in 2015 ... I am getting slightly blase about shiraz but this wine seriously rocks, if you can find any.

Mike Hawkins · Post by **Mike Hawkins** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:28 am

Thanks Jay. Haven't tried it since release. IMO Rockford BP from a good vintage hits its straps 13-25 years of age. The 86, 90 and 91 are singing right now.

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:23 pm

Thanks for the note Jay. Sounds like I shouldn't touch any for 10 years yet. Hmmm, the waiting...

Michael McNally · Post by **Michael McNally** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:40 pm

Had this last year at an offline and yes, still a pup!! Very enjoyable nonetheless.

Cheers

Michael

Lochness Dave · Post by **Lochness Dave** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:24 pm

I believe there is a new wine maker at Rockfords, I was there this year to taste the latest release of BP and I was a little dissapointed, very thin and little finish, 2 years ago when I was there I bought up, I left empty handed this year though and I will taste it again before putting any more in my cellar :cry:

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:02 pm

Lochness Dave wrote:I believe there is a new wine maker at Rockfords, I was there this year to taste the latest release of BP and I was a little dissapointed, very thin and little finish, 2 years ago when I was there I bought up, I left empty handed this year though and I will taste it again before putting any more in my cellar

What vintage of the BP were you tasting?

Lochness Dave · Post by **Lochness Dave** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:26 am

I think it was the 2006, we were there for the Barossa Festival this year, 2 years ago when I was down there it was just about the highlight of our wine tasings. I have quite a few 1998's in the cellar now after that first trip.

David

monghead · Post by **monghead** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:33 pm

Lochness Dave wrote:I think it was the 2006, we were there for the Barossa Festival this year, 2 years ago when I was down there it was just about the highlight of our wine tasings. I have quite a few 1998's in the cellar now after that first trip.

David

Thank you. Will put that in the memory banks to try before buying...

griff · Post by **griff** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:27 pm

Lochness Dave wrote:I think it was the 2006, we were there for the Barossa Festival this year, 2 years ago when I was down there it was just about the highlight of our wine tasings. I have quite a few 1998's in the cellar now after that first trip.

David

You could "buy up" the 1998 Basket Press at cellar door two years ago? Was it the winemaker's reserve i.e. the barrels that they forgot about and left in oak longer?

As for new winemaker they are a nursery for winemakers with many of the new Barossa young guns doing time there. Chris Ringland still consults as he has done for many years as far as I am aware. Maybe he has moved on? DaveB may be able to answer that.

cheers

Carl

Deano · Post by **Deano** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:37 pm

Ben Radford has been the new winemaker since 2007. Chris, i believe, is now doing other projects, none at Rockford.

griff · Post by **griff** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:46 pm

Deano wrote:Ben Radford has been the new winemaker since 2007. Chris, i believe, is now doing other projects, none at Rockford.

Thanks! Shall be interesting to see if the style changes 2007 onwards then

cheers

Carl

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:33 am

monghead wrote:
Lochness Dave wrote:I think it was the 2006, we were there for the Barossa Festival this year, 2 years ago when I was down there it was just about the highlight of our wine tasings. I have quite a few 1998's in the cellar now after that first trip.

David

Thank you. Will put that in the memory banks to try before buying...

06 is an awesomely good BP.
GW

Davo · Post by **Davo** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:58 pm

Gary W wrote:
monghead wrote:
Lochness Dave wrote:I think it was the 2006, we were there for the Barossa Festival this year, 2 years ago when I was down there it was just about the highlight of our wine tasings. I have quite a few 1998's in the cellar now after that first trip.

David

Thank you. Will put that in the memory banks to try before buying...

06 is an awesomely good BP.
GW

Strangely, I find myself in complete agreeance with you. I've had it several times, found it a little light on at release but it has improved markedly with time in the bottle and was again superb when we tried it at CD a couple of weeks back.

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:01 pm

I'll take this as a sure sign that as you get older, you are most certainly getting wiser.
GW

Davo · Post by **Davo** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:54 am

Wizened maybe :cry:

redstuff · Post by **redstuff** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:14 am

Michael McNally wrote:Had this last year at an offline and yes, still a pup!! Very enjoyable nonetheless.

Cheers

Michael

I'll bring the '06 to the next Brisvegas offline.

Yes it's awesome :lol:

rooman · Post by **rooman** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:59 am

Gary W wrote:
monghead wrote:
Lochness Dave wrote:I think it was the 2006, we were there for the Barossa Festival this year, 2 years ago when I was down there it was just about the highlight of our wine tasings. I have quite a few 1998's in the cellar now after that first trip.

David

Thank you. Will put that in the memory banks to try before buying...

06 is an awesomely good BP.
GW

I am also in the same camp. A friend bought it for me at lunch yesterday and it was truly was an excellent wine. What surprised me was how approachable it was notwithstanding how young it was.

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:44 am

+1 for the 06.
The 05, whilst also a good wine, is pretty much in the shade, wedged between the 04 and the 06.

JF · Post by JF » Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:02 pm

06 now all gone at CD. 04 in magnum available at Stonewallers CD.