TN: RockBare Shiraz McLaren Vale 2002

[Guest]

RockBare Shiraz McLaren Vale 2002 $13.99US
Dark cherry red with pink edge. Very closed. Gave no true flavors over two hours. Well structured. Mouthfilling with good balance between acid and tannin. (Tasted June 6)

Unfortunately the first bottle was tasted straight from the cellar (55F) and I thought being so cold may explain how closed it was. However hand warming of the glass did not open up any distinct flavors.

So a second bottle was tasted June 9 and 10 and this was also dark cherry in color but a little less closed. Prominent initial flavors were of sulfur (my wife labeled it skunk!) and dusty oak. Over about two hours there were fleeting hints of licorice, chocolate, pepper and cherries. Let me emphasize fleeting. There was no evolution of flavors either, they just came and went, again and again. Still its a very well structured wine with balanced acid and tannins and great mouthfeel. After 24 hours the oak gave a toasted character and the wine had softened a bit. Alcohol 14.5%.

Anyone else tasted this wine? It might be one of the most closed wines I have ever had. But if this wine ever really opens up it could be excellent.

I should note that I did put half the bottle into a decanter to aerate the wine and compared this with the wine in bottle over a few hours but that made no difference at all. The remaining wine (slightly less than half a bottle) was combined back into the bottle and left on the kitchen bench for a day. After tasting it (see above) I gave the bottle a $&**#* good shaking and poured another glass - nothing! As I type this I'm sniffing and tasting and again getting fleeting hints of various flavors none of which persist except for the oak. Well at least the skunk seems to have left!!

Mike

[Daryl Douglas]

RockBare Shiraz McLaren Vale 2002 $13.99US
Dark cherry red with pink edge. Very closed. Gave no true flavors over two hours. Well structured. Mouthfilling with good balance between acid and tannin. (Tasted June 6)

Unfortunately the first bottle was tasted straight from the cellar (55F) and I thought being so cold may explain how closed it was. However hand warming of the glass did not open up any distinct flavors.

So a second bottle was tasted June 9 and 10 and this was also dark cherry in color but a little less closed. Prominent initial flavors were of sulfur (my wife labeled it skunk!) and dusty oak. Over about two hours there were fleeting hints of licorice, chocolate, pepper and cherries. Let me emphasize fleeting. There was no evolution of flavors either, they just came and went, again and again. Still its a very well structured wine with balanced acid and tannins and great mouthfeel. After 24 hours the oak gave a toasted character and the wine had softened a bit. Alcohol 14.5%.

Anyone else tasted this wine? It might be one of the most closed wines I have ever had. But if this wine ever really opens up it could be excellent.

I should note that I did put half the bottle into a decanter to aerate the wine and compared this with the wine in bottle over a few hours but that made no difference at all. The remaining wine (slightly less than half a bottle) was combined back into the bottle and left on the kitchen bench for a day. After tasting it (see above) I gave the bottle a $&**#* good shaking and poured another glass - nothing! As I type this I'm sniffing and tasting and again getting fleeting hints of various flavors none of which persist except for the oak. Well at least the skunk seems to have left!!

Mike

Hi Mike

Bought a case of this wine for A$14.99/btl which is all gone now. The most obvious flavour for me was chocolate. The oak wasn't overdone but is there. Like you I kept looking for something more in the wine. It's an OK quaffer that I don't think will gain much from ageing though I hope for those who still have some that it does. I found a bottle of Jacobs Creek Shiraz 02 consumed last night (A$7.99) more interesting.

Cheers

daz

[Gary]

I was working at a wine store in Edgecliff when this wine was released. I sold 500 dozen of the RockBare Shiraz 2002 in 3 months at $12.99. In my 20 years experience of retailing, it was one of the most re-ordered wines I have ever offered. It is a good drink for the money and the punters absolutely loved it. Though Halliday suggested it may well cellar well, it seems that many found it too easy to quaff straight away and at $13, it isn't a wine to think too deeply about!
Cheers

[Rosco]

greetings mike,
i put on the following wines (masked) as examples of new McLaren Vale district reds some time ago:-
* Marius Wines Shiraz 2000
* Kimber Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
* Beresford Shiraz 2001
* Pertaringa Shiraz 2001
* Angas Plains Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
* Rockbare Shiraz 2002

what i do remember was that the Marius and Kimber were rated the top two and the Rockbare came a bad last.
Simple fruit and the wine lacked complexity and was overwhelmed by resiny type wood.
Certainly this example was miles away from the hype at the time.

rosco

[Chuck]

It would appear 2002 Rockbare has become a love it/hate wine. It is different to any shiraz I have tasted and it is this that makes it a must for my cellar. Too many shirazes are starting to taste the same particularly from 2002. I bought a further case for the long haul and it is just starting to reveal its dark secrets. It does need a good long breathing = perhaps a 44 gallon drum for hal an hour. In a few more years I don't think I will be disappointed.

It reminds me of Pennys Hill 2002 Shiraz which I consider a stunning example of what McLaren Vale shirazes from 2002 can be like. Wonderful fruit, not jammy and alcoholic, with great complexity and well balanced oak. Approachable now and with enough grunt to see another 5-10 years.

Chuck