Mr Guest wrote: Well Adair, In Sweden we will have Old Vine Home Block shiraz 1996 in magnums only as well as a Lizard Block Grenache trio 1996 1998 and 2002 sold together. Unfortunately not for the domestic market.
Point to note: a wise person just made me realise the 1996 Old Vine Home Block is probably just the 1996 SVS Moorooroo - as Rockford's Home Block is in the Moorooroo sub-region of the Barossa. I don't have a copy of the literature that went with the three 1996 SVSs, which might detail the vineyard that the 1996 Moorooroo came from, so I can't be 100% sure.
Interesting that they would label it differently though.
Adair
The Rockford “Home Block” Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5L magnums come in black storage tubes, and I'm not sure if they have anything to do with the Moorooroo. The story on the label says the grapes are hand picked by a number of notables from Adelaide’s restaurant and other hospitality trades from the one and a half acre Home Block. The resulting wine is aged in an “interesting array of oak” for two and a half years, prior to bottling in magnums only. A list of the “Accounts day” participants are included, and they get first shot at the resulting product, with what’s left available to the public. I’ve seen a few of the magnums from the 1996, 1997 and 1998 vintages surface here at retailers who also usually happen to be participants.
While I havent been there for a while, you might want to contact Melbourne St Cellars in North Adelaide. The 1998 magnum (last time I checked they had a few) was around $80....which is extraordinary value given that some of the 1998 CabSav has been held back and is being sold at CD for $42.
I actually had a 1992 magnum of the home block some months ago....very nice drop, from memory.
While I havent been there for a while, you might want to contact Melbourne St Cellars in North Adelaide. The 1998 magnum (last time I checked they had a few) was around $80....which is extraordinary value given that some of the 1998 CabSav has been held back and is being sold at CD for $42.
Melbourne Street is one of those Accounts Day participants I mentioned. I think I still saw a couple of 1998s there a few weeks ago (I'll check again tonight), but it may pay to be a little careful, as a few were returned to them due to some leakage. A question mark came up about the Courier used to get them there, but luckily the one I got last year (when they first appeared) is absolutely fine.
Paul T wrote:Thanks for the info Ian..maybe oneday i'll be lucky enough to get to try it from a curiosity point of view.
Cheers
Paul
I just received a Magnum of the 1999 Home Block from Pam as a donation for an upcoming charity wine auction I am organising, if you are the only one bidding on it you may be lucky enough to get it for $1 (although I doubt it very much).
Cheers -Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia. Now accepting wine for our next auction. http://www.wickman.net.au
Melbourne Street is one of those Accounts Day participants I mentioned. I think I still saw a couple of 1998s there a few weeks ago (I'll check again tonight), but it may pay to be a little careful, as a few were returned to them due to some leakage. A question mark came up about the Courier used to get them there, but luckily the one I got last year (when they first appeared) is absolutely fine.
Cheers, Ian
Sorry to plug a competitor Gavin, but I checked again tonight, and they're still available at Melbourne Street for $84.99 a piece, and there's a few left.
I just received a Magnum of the 1999 Home Block from Pam as a donation for an upcoming charity wine auction I am organising, if you are the only one bidding on it you may be lucky enough to get it for $1 (although I doubt it very much).
Thanks for the invitation Mark. I'll have to think about it though - my wallet's still limping after the last Oddbins auction!