TNs: Rockford Releases at Stonewallers
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:12 pm
A quick pop in to StonewallerÂ’s CD last Friday after spending 3 days in ADL and Barossa meeting business clients. 
2005 Rockford Vine Vale Riesling
Sweet, perfumed, aromatic and florally. Easy to drink. Too sweet for me. Not sure why this is so expensive either?
85 / 100
2003 Rockford Hand Picked Eden Valley Riesling
From 80-year-old vineyards and hand-picked. Minerals, slate, good length and intense sharp nose. Very good.
87 / 100
2001 Rockford Moppa Springs Grenache Shiraz Mataro
Sweet raspberry nose. Nice tannin structure. Good length. Not bad at all.
87 / 100
2003 Rockford Rod & Spur Shiraz Cabernet
Lovely nose. Slight “heat†evident though. Soft and elegant. Nice length. Fills out well. Harmless quaffable wine.
86 / 100
2003 Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon
Poise and elegance. Lovely blackcurrants caress the palate. Finishes very well but lacks oomph along the palate.
87 / 100
2003 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
Much more intensity here, longer length. A tad too ripe for my liking on the bouquet, with a touch of bacon fat. Palate finishes dry, with chalky tannins that are so very, very fine that they are nearly not noticeable! Sees about 10-15% new oak (French and American) and tastes oakless! Near excellent wine. Not a long termer.
89 / 100
NV Rockford Sparkling Black Shiraz (Disgorged 2005)
Sweet and ripe nose, with a touch of dry earth on the palate. Good follow through. Too sweet IÂ’m afraid for my palate and too much like vanilla coke to me! At this stage, too one dimensional also. Very easy to swill a few glasses, or bottles, of this though!
85 / 100
1999 Rockford SVS Flaxman Shiraz
14.8%. From vineyards of Chris Ringland and other families. 2 years in oak. Mid red. Rich, heady A/V heat on nose. Slight pastilles (but not OTT). Nice creamy, vanilla palate, ripe with good length. This wine has a lot of finesse, strange given its alcohol level and the previous 1998. I really liked this and much preferred it to the too elegant 1998 Flaxman release! Excellent wine! Approachable now.
90 / 100
1999 Rockford SVS Pressings Shiraz
14.3%. 2 ½ year in American oak. Much darker red/purple colour. More earthy and spicy nose – not as ripe or pungent or as intense as Flaxman. Some vegetable matter evident also. Wine and palate is almost the complete opposite to Flaxman: meaty, obviously tannic, and good length. Bit more “grunt†and aggro compared to the lovely Flaxman. Needs time. Not the powerhouse the 1998 Pressings was.
88 / 100
A good, solid line up overall. The SVS Helbig is in short supply so not on for tasting though did buy a bottle (yes, I succumbed Neval – my 1st Aussie purchases of the year!
). I was impressed with the SVS’ this time round, having not been a fan of the “greater†years which I felt were unbalanced and hot (especially 1996). Seems like I prefer “weaker†vintage SVS then, which appear more balanced and less ripe. 
Still no word on when the SVS grenache and white wine will make an appearance.
2005 Rockford Vine Vale Riesling
Sweet, perfumed, aromatic and florally. Easy to drink. Too sweet for me. Not sure why this is so expensive either?
85 / 100
2003 Rockford Hand Picked Eden Valley Riesling
From 80-year-old vineyards and hand-picked. Minerals, slate, good length and intense sharp nose. Very good.
87 / 100
2001 Rockford Moppa Springs Grenache Shiraz Mataro
Sweet raspberry nose. Nice tannin structure. Good length. Not bad at all.
87 / 100
2003 Rockford Rod & Spur Shiraz Cabernet
Lovely nose. Slight “heat†evident though. Soft and elegant. Nice length. Fills out well. Harmless quaffable wine.
86 / 100
2003 Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon
Poise and elegance. Lovely blackcurrants caress the palate. Finishes very well but lacks oomph along the palate.
87 / 100
2003 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
Much more intensity here, longer length. A tad too ripe for my liking on the bouquet, with a touch of bacon fat. Palate finishes dry, with chalky tannins that are so very, very fine that they are nearly not noticeable! Sees about 10-15% new oak (French and American) and tastes oakless! Near excellent wine. Not a long termer.
89 / 100
NV Rockford Sparkling Black Shiraz (Disgorged 2005)
Sweet and ripe nose, with a touch of dry earth on the palate. Good follow through. Too sweet IÂ’m afraid for my palate and too much like vanilla coke to me! At this stage, too one dimensional also. Very easy to swill a few glasses, or bottles, of this though!
85 / 100
1999 Rockford SVS Flaxman Shiraz
14.8%. From vineyards of Chris Ringland and other families. 2 years in oak. Mid red. Rich, heady A/V heat on nose. Slight pastilles (but not OTT). Nice creamy, vanilla palate, ripe with good length. This wine has a lot of finesse, strange given its alcohol level and the previous 1998. I really liked this and much preferred it to the too elegant 1998 Flaxman release! Excellent wine! Approachable now.
90 / 100
1999 Rockford SVS Pressings Shiraz
14.3%. 2 ½ year in American oak. Much darker red/purple colour. More earthy and spicy nose – not as ripe or pungent or as intense as Flaxman. Some vegetable matter evident also. Wine and palate is almost the complete opposite to Flaxman: meaty, obviously tannic, and good length. Bit more “grunt†and aggro compared to the lovely Flaxman. Needs time. Not the powerhouse the 1998 Pressings was.
88 / 100
A good, solid line up overall. The SVS Helbig is in short supply so not on for tasting though did buy a bottle (yes, I succumbed Neval – my 1st Aussie purchases of the year!
). I was impressed with the SVS’ this time round, having not been a fan of the “greater†years which I felt were unbalanced and hot (especially 1996). Seems like I prefer “weaker†vintage SVS then, which appear more balanced and less ripe. Still no word on when the SVS grenache and white wine will make an appearance.