Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2011

Robert O’Callaghan’s evocative Rockford Basket Press Shiraz is a tribute to the Barossa’s 19th and early 20th-century heritage. Made from grapes sourced from 60 to 140-year-old dry-grown vineyards (most from independent growers) across a range of Barossa soils, altitudes and micro-climates, the wine represents a rare and important post-colonial Australian aesthetic.

This soft and medium bodied style, with an earthy quality showing through bottle age, echoes the landscape of the Barossa and references the great mid 20th-century wines of legendary winemaker Colin Preece. Labour-intensive winemaking practices, a culture of craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail culminate in one of Australia’s greatest and most-loved wines

Difficult season, but it's not a difficult wine. Fans of the label with some already stashed in their cellar can breathe easy. It's fuller in body than the season might have predicted, but more elegant than is usual for this wine. Blackberry, raspberry, coffee grounds, toast and vanilla fill it out, with herbs and peppers whispering through the finish. Tannin is the key: it's ripe, fine, marked by its finesse and yet determined to get its point across. Perhaps not a long-termer, but no doubting either its merit or drinking appeal. Drink by 2023. - Campbell Mattinson, James Halliday’s Wine Companion, 95 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Shiraz
Country - Australia
Region - Barossa Valley, South Australia
Vintage - 2011
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14%
Closure - Cork