Is Rockford Basket Press Worth the Fuss?

[Brucer]

I am a Rockford fan. Been buying BP for 30 years.
Its difficult to compare BP to other wines. To me, its a good basic view of the Barossa vintage for that year. The wines do vary a lot, even though they are come from multiple vineyards.
I only ever got to buy 2 vintages of SVS, because I live in Sydney, and you could only buy from the winery, which is 1500Km away.
I did manage to get some 2004 SVS Hoffman and Flaxman, still have some.
I dont think Rockford BP is off the pace too much, in its style. Some years are better then others. But its kept value with other wines I think.
I always thought the 02 was over ripe, even showing some dead fruit characters.

[Mike Hawkins]

Was a bit bored so pulled the cork on another 90 BP. Man, it’s a great wine with plenty of life. It’s not quite at the tertiary stage of its development, albeit there are some Cabernet notes on the nose..cedar and black currant. I haven’t noticed those characters before. Next up is a 98 to see how it’s travelling. If it’s as good as 3 of the last 4, I’ll be very happy.

[JamieBahrain]

Those 90's real treasures Mike.

If you think of the SVS vineyards that may no longer go into BP- Helbig, Flaxman, Moorooroo, Hofmann's- we may not ever see the wines as good?

[Brucer]

They go into plenty of other amazing wines.....Standish, Sami-Odi and Izway come to mind.

[JamieBahrain]

Flaxman into Powell & Sons.

Helbig a housing estate now (?)

[Mike Hawkins]

Those 90's real treasures Mike.

If you think of the SVS vineyards that may no longer go into BP- Helbig, Flaxman, Moorooroo, Hofmann's- we may not ever see the wines as good?

The realist in me tends to agree. The optimist thinks that now that other old vineyards don’t go into the Parkerised wines, Robert will still have access to high quality, albeit slightly different fruit.

[Mike Hawkins]

They go into plenty of other amazing wines.....Standish, Sami-Odi and Izway come to mind.

And not surprisingly these guys all make some outstanding wines!

[Scotty vino]

anyone tried the 17 BP?

[kenzo]

2016 the current release BP shiraz, and although 2017 Rifle Range is out I have sampled any yet.

[A_Steady]

anyone tried the 17 BP?

I was going to be there for a long table lunch and tasting of the ‘17 BP and ‘20 BS at the end of this month, but alas COVID-19 had other ideas. Living interstate I will be buying without trying this year.

[Brucer]

I opened a 2013 recently, and had such a nice time, opened another. 2008 is good. 2010 is excellent and has a good life ahead of it.

[Scotty vino]

2016 the current release BP shiraz, and although 2017 Rifle Range is out I have sampled any yet.

2017 BP and 2020 BS is available thru SW. Since oct 1st? anywho thought maybe someone had breezed thru.
I might go up sundee and have a geeze at it.
75 and 76 big ones each

[ticklenow1]

2016 the current release BP shiraz, and although 2017 Rifle Range is out I have sampled any yet.

2017 BP and 2020 BS is available thru SW. Since oct 1st? anywho thought maybe someone had breezed thru.
I might go up sundee and have a geeze at it.
75 and 76 big ones each

Prices starting to creep up quite a bit the last few years....

[kenzo]

I stand corrected - didn.t see any email about the release and not sure if they usually send the Rag overseas - didn't receive that either...
Up from 72 for the BP and 73 from Sparkling.

This is turning out to be an expensive month...

[A_Steady]

Keen to hear what vintage of dry country Grenache they have at the moment, and what it is like

[phillisc]

I stand corrected - didn.t see any email about the release and not sure if they usually send the Rag overseas - didn't receive that either...
Up from 72 for the BP and 73 from Sparkling.

This is turning out to be an expensive month...

There is no email, Rag arrived in the post box today, will just be a sixer of BP this vintage, of course that may change once I have spent an hour in the SW cellar door and have gone through the range...and SWMBO suggests a couple more of this and that
Yep very very expensive month indeed...just got back on board the MM and YY train again and also made my ever Yeringberg purchase. What with Wynnsday tasting and inevitable purchases tomorrow and Noon just round the corner, hope they keep me on jobseeker, keeper, bleeper whatever, but yes all this will see me out for 2020.
Cheers Craig

[Brucer]

I ordered online, 6 each BP and Black shiraz. No mailer yet.
Just opened a 2012 BP. Is it worth the fuss? Yes.

[ticklenow1]

The last few Basket Press's that I've had have been a mixed bag. 2003 was well past it's best and quite porty. Mediocre vintage and my last bottle. Wasn't expecting too much so we weren't too disappointed. 2 bottles of 2004. One bottle was a dud and one was amazing. The second bottle was on song, which I was happy about after the first bottle. I've always considered 2004 to be the best vintage of the '00's so after the first bottle I was panicking a bit, but faith was restored on bottle number two. I think the first bottle was oxidised rather than corked.

Cheers
Ian

[Brucer]

I bought 2 doz 04s from retailers when released, paid more, but it was worth it. Drunk em all, except 1. Brilliant wine. Current oldest stash for drinking is the 08.

[A_Steady]

2016 the current release BP shiraz, and although 2017 Rifle Range is out I have sampled any yet.

2017 BP and 2020 BS is available thru SW. Since oct 1st? anywho thought maybe someone had breezed thru.
I might go up sundee and have a geeze at it.
75 and 76 big ones each

Did you make it to Rockford on sundee?

[Scotty vino]

2016 the current release BP shiraz, and although 2017 Rifle Range is out I have sampled any yet.

2017 BP and 2020 BS is available thru SW. Since oct 1st? anywho thought maybe someone had breezed thru.
I might go up sundee and have a geeze at it.
75 and 76 big ones each

Did you make it to Rockford on sundee?

No! Life has butted in for the next couple of weeks. I did speak with the winery and it's a sit down 90 min tasting.
In the meantime I've scanned the 'rag' and it sounds like 2017 was pretty darn good. Next couple of weeks I hope to be there.
Fingers crossed!

[Raymo]

I would regularly order the BS in the past. Unfortunately, the 2018 disgorgement had a noticeable musty character that put me off ordering the 2019 disgorgement. Given that production of BS involves a solera base, the likelihood of that undesirable trait continuing has made me wary of ordering it again - but I'm missing it and it used to be a Christmas staple for the family.

Does anyone have any experience of the 2019, or better still, the recent 2020 disgorgements and can comment on them?

[A_Steady]

I would regularly order the BS in the past. Unfortunately, the 2018 disgorgement had a noticeable musty character that put me off ordering the 2019 disgorgement. Given that production of BS involves a solera base, the likelihood of that undesirable trait continuing has made me wary of ordering it again - but I'm missing it and it used to be a Christmas staple for the family.

Does anyone have any experience of the 2019, or better still, the recent 2020 disgorgements and can comment on them?

I had my first ‘18 BS yesterday and didn’t notice any musty ness - I was looking for it following the tasting notes on tWf.

I tried the ‘19 back in NOV 19, just afterrelease at the CD and was happy to purchase

Maybe I have a high tolerance to Brett/musty ness, maybe not all bottles were effected

[Raymo]

Thanks A_Steady - all six of mine had it to greater or lesser extents. Musty, even dirty in some cases, and very disappointing. I normally hold some to drink over the years but in this case decided to drink them all up over about 4-6 months before they got worse as there was still some (diminished) enjoyment to be had. Maybe it depends on how their solera system works (i.e. do they maintain multiple barrels or just the one big one; if multiple, then perhaps only some barrels, and therefore only some batches, were affected). It was definitely there and definitely concerning for future purchases.

[Brucer]

I returned my 2018 Black Shiraz to Rockford, and they replaced it with the 2019 model. Its a better wine.

[Raymo]

I returned my 2018 Black Shiraz to Rockford, and they replaced it with the 2019 model. Its a better wine.

What I should have done. Might risk ordering the 2020 disgorgement Any hint of it in the 2019? (Just wondering if it was still there but not as obvious - hopefully pointing to a diminution in the solera base over successive vintages until it 'disappears'.)

[JamieBahrain]

I had a bottle of 2003 Rockfords SVS Hoffmann a few nights ago. Coconut and ultra-ripe and disjointed. Popped and poured into a decanter. Half way through it settled and was more even and enjoyable.

I've some Flaxman's on the tasting bench- 98 and 03.

[JamieBahrain]

Over the last few nights I shared a few special bottles of Basket Press.

The 1998 is a magnificent wine still 5 years away from the peak of its complexity. Over this bottle it has the hallmarks of fine Barossa shiraz in layers with delightful nuance as well. Powerful and long; quite something. Served blind to good friends including an MW, it was unashamedly Barossan, and very well received in its style.

Next up was the Rockford SVS Flaxman Valley shiraz. I know the Steinhert vineyard goes to Powell & Sons now as a $700 a bottle proposition. This wine wasn't too dissimilar to the BP, bracketed by cooler notes throughout, though the core is deep and well layered. Needed a bit of aeration to blow of the oak which quickly integrated without stamping itself on the wine. Excellent and a few pips below the regular BP.

An 06 BP didnt' show as well as previous bottles- warm and red fruited, I feel the cork may be at play as there's a portiness not noted in prior, so a little more oxygen present that's delivering the variation? Still fine- lacking the fruit polish and purity in regionality of the last few bottles. Another on the bench to share over the festive season.


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[phillisc]

Well finally made it to the winery on Saturday. Had a good look round the kennel very impressive, and did a mini tour of the winery and the associated barrel halls, what a treasure trove down there. Despite the 4 sqm rule being lifted, our party was the only one there in the Stonewallers.
If anything I note having done Clare, Coonawarra, MV and the Barossa all in the last 6 weeks, wine tasting has become intimate, in winemakers sheds and houses, seated, European-like and have had some great experiences, plus the generosity of winemakers bringing out some good stuff.
2020 Vine Vale magnificent Riesling, much better than anything I have had from Clare so far. Fabulous texture, great potential at $42 a bit exy but will be a great keeper. Got a half dozen
2012 wheeled out as a comparison, all funky Phenolics, spritzy acid, just starting to mellow
2018 EV very different wine lots of acid, steeliness, very nice
2018 Semi, good wine, creamy oak, lovely palate good length, will age.
2020 Fronti, excellent flavor, lovely sweetness with a bit of acidity, low alcohol, great drinking got a few.
Passed over the Alicante, never liked it, and luckily the Frugal was missing, never liked it either (in between vintages)
2016 DCG, interesting and a few in the thread here go for it, found it a fraction jammy and hot but alcohols in the 14s...got a couple to put away, first made since the 06
2017 Moppa, nice wine, but not a lot of interest.
2017 BP, note that this has a really good mouthfeel leaning more towards a full bodied style, 17 was a cooler year (IIRC), great depth of flavour, got the allocation already
2017 R&S 67/33 Shiraz/Cab split?? enjoyed this a lot, for me its like the cab makes it first ans the shiraz takes over great blend, great meaty savory core, dark fruits, great tannins and structure very well made.
2017 RR, again a savory earthy full rich wine, oak there but being soaked up, a twinge of that lovely sweetness, so different to the usual cabs that i drink...a couple on the way. Reminded me of an old Seppelts Dorrien
BS can appreciate it for what it is, rich creamy lush
2010/12 botrytis Semillons Mayflower and another, lovely wines, apricots fruit salad rich and unctuous without being cloying. Maybe next time
2015 VP, fabulous shiraz note and brandy spirit, a treat PS Marion Tawny pales a little in comparison, different styles yes, but wide apart in terms of quality.
Great tasting and we were very well looked after by Olivia.

BP worth it, yes, but I tasted a wine later that day ( a clue, incredibly close to home) that blew it out of the park...and was cheaper.
Cheers Craig

[Mahmoud Ali]

BP worth it, yes, but I tasted a wine later that day ( a clue, incredibly close to home) that blew it out of the park...and was cheaper.

Aren't you the coy one.