Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2012, Barossa Valley, Australia 🇦🇺

🍇 Shiraz/Syrah 100%

🧐 Alcohol 14.4%

🍁 My Score 93 Points

🧩 Aged in French and American oak for two years

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Vibrant and sensuous nose with aromas of sweet berry fruit, dark black currants, violets, peppery and light cedar notes. On the mouthfeel medium-full bodied, soft flavourful and seductive fruit, smooth tannins and refreshing acidity. The wine finish is long tasty and savoury.

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I finally got to enjoy a wine which has been on my wine bucket list for quite some time now. The star of this wine is definitely the classic aromatics of premium Australian Shiraz, Christmas fruit cake. The nose didn’t quite translate on the mouthfeel, replaced instead with an elegant and complex texture. So much going on here and absolutely brilliant wine. Looking forward to my next experience with Rockford Basket Press Shiraz. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Spinifex Papillon Grenache/Cinsault/Carignan/Shiraz 2010, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

Here is an interesting, easy drinking, Australian Rhône blend with a beautiful bright ruby color. This wine opened up with aromas of plum/strawberry/raspberry fruit, dried violet, white pepper and savoury spices. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied (with alcohol at 14%), dry, light on its feet, delicate texture, spicy plum jelly flavours, good acidity and smooth well integrated tannins. This blends finish is medium length, not very complex but smooth with nice flavours. Very interesting wine from Australia and very enjoyable, score 90 points.

Purchased October 13, 2012 LCBO New Release (285205) at $29.95

Burge Family Olive Hill 2006, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

This wine is a blend of 68% Shiraz, 18% Grenache and 14% Mourvèdre aged in French oak (one-third new oak), alcohol registers at 15.8%. This wine opened up with aromas of blueberry, black cherry, savoury spices, clove, black pepper, tobacco and mocha. On the mouthfeel, full bodied with generous fruit concentration, velvet and creamy texture, balance acidity and silky tannins. This Rhône blend finish is long, peppery, rich flavours and so smooth. A beautifully complex, well structured and balanced wine, even with alcohol at 15.8% (the alcohol is barely noticeable). It would have been interesting to taste this wine 2 years ago, Burge Family Olive Hill 2006 is delicious right now or continue to cellar for 2-3 years. Very enjoyable, score 92 points. 

Purchased September 18, 2010 LCBO New Release at $34.95

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2005, Barossa Valley, Australia

I opened this bottle last February, it was nice then, but I thought to wait another year before opening my last bottle. Patience certainly provides its rewards. This wine is rich, concentrated and robust, yet approachable. On the nose this wine opens up with aromas of black fruit, plums, menthol, leather, chocolate, earthy and savoury notes. This blend has a full bodied mouthfeel (14.5% alc.) is rich with creamy but well integrated flavours, balanced acidity and velvet tannins. Great energy and length on the finish with chocolate, black fruit and wood spice flavours. This wine is drinking well now, but there is still a lot of life left in this bottle with its best days still years away. The wine maturation took place in a combination of old and new American, French and Hungarian oak barrels. Strongly recommended, score 92 points. 

This wine was purchased February 19, 2011 LCBO New Release at $ 51.95

Hewitson Miss Harry 2009, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

This is a much lighter style of wine from the Barossa Valley, a Rhône blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Shiraz, 5% Mourvèdre with the balance 2.5% equal portion of Cinsault and Carignan. This wine opens up with aromas of strawberry, blueberry, stewed rhubarb, herb de Provence, white pepper and medicinal notes. The palate has loads of energy and length, light-medium bodied (14% alc.), bright acidity and soft tannins. Medium length with lively red berry flavours on the finish. Enjoyable but not what I was expecting from Barossa, score 89 points.

This wine was purchased January 21, 2012 LCBO New Release at $23.95

Saltram Mamre Brook Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley, Australia

From a hot 2008 vintage of the Barossa Valley, comes this big (15% Alcohol), dark almost inky black and very fragrant Aussie Shiraz. The fruit is from low yielding vines that was matured in new and used French and American oak barrels for twenty-two months. On the nose, this wine opens up with ripe blackberry, plums, savoury, coffee and cedar aromas. Big and rich flavours on the mouthfeel, cherry pie, chocolate, clove with sufficient acidity and ripe tannins. The finish is long, velvety, savoury with sweet flavours lingering. A classic example of the “Barossa Style”, big fruit and big alcohol but well balanced and well made. Very enjoyable.

This wine was purchased July 9, 2011 LCBO New Release at $24.95

Elderton Ode To Lorraine 2008, Barossa Valley, Australia

I loved this blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Shiraz and 8% Merlot, with maturation taking place in 80% French oak and 20% American Oak.. On the nose this wine opened up with ripe plums, black fruit, cassis, mint, vanilla and toasty oak. The palate was rich, smooth and well structured with good acidity and silky tannins. Medium to full body and great length. This blend finished long smooth, savoury and comforting. I first tasted this 2008 Ode to Lorraine last January, it was very enjoyable then, drinking beautifully right now and will only get better over the next 4-5 years. When done right, this is the kind of wine you expect from Barossa Valley. A big juice red (but not jammy), with high alcohol (14.5%) with rich and complex structure. My only negative comment, what is with the heavy bottle?  This wine is very good and can stand on its own without a hefty bottle. In this age of concern for the environment and our expanding carbon foot print, and the cost of moving heavy bottles around the world we should use regular bottles and pass on the savings to the customer, which may help sell more wine.
I have been purchasing Ode To Lorraine for 3 or 4 years now and reviewed their 2006 vintage on my blog on June 5, 2011. This wine was originally released December 11, 2010, it will be re-released, Saturday October 15, 2011. Strongly recommended.

This wine was purchased December 11, 2010 LCBO New Release at $39.95.

Ross Estate, Single Vineyard Shiraz 2006, Barossa Valley, South Australia

This wine was released less than two weeks ago and I thought I should try this Shiraz before they disappear from the shelves of my local LCBO.  A deep colour with a bouquet of black fruit, blueberry, blackcurrant, damp earth, smoke and fruit cake spices. The mouthfeel is rich with loads of fruit , yet not jammy , smooth texture with velvet tannins. The finish is long, fresh, smoky with excellent depth of flavour. An absolute beauty that is drinking well right now and is a real comfort wine. I will make sure to pick up a few more bottles.

This wine was purchased on August 20, 2011 LCBO New Release at $30.95

Elderton Ode to Lorraine 2006, Barossa Valley, South Australia

Elderton is a small family owned winery located in the Barossa Valley. The Elderton vineyard which was planted in 1894 by Samuel Elderton Tolley, was purchased by the Ashmead family in the late 1970's. All this to tell you that that Ode to Lorraine, was created to honour the co-founder Lorraine Ashmead and the 2006 vintage his a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Shiraz and 12% Merlot, maturation took place over a period of 18 months in new French and American oak and alcohol register at 14.5% . The nose is so nice, I could inhale this all day; ripe red fruits, sweet blackberry, cassis and savoury spices. I love the structure of this blend; concentrated fruit flavours, lively acidity and well integrated tannins buried under all that rich ripe fruit. the finish is long with sweet fruit, spicy and velvet texture. This wine truly honours it's co-founder and is a real treat, one which I have previously tasted last summer in Copenhagen, Denmark.  I have enjoyed their 2008 vintage and still have another in my cellar. My only negative comment; Why tame the pink on the label of the 2008 vintage? I like it, it makes the wine stand out from the multitude of wines in our stores. Enough said, I loved it.

This wine was purchased March 30, 2011 at Liberty Wine Merchants in Vancouver, BC at $54.99.

Charles Cimicky The Autograph Shiraz 2004, Barrossa Valley, South Australia

The Autograph is a 100% Shiraz from 45 years old vines in Barossa, aged 18 months in new American oak as well as a small quantity of French oak. This wine has generous aromatics and mature aromas; fruit cake, dark plums, date and cinnamon. It is full bodied, has silky tannins with every component well integrated. Nice to see a mature Australian Shiraz on the LCBO shelf. Very good value for a Shiraz of this quality.

This wine was October 16, 2010 LCBO New Release at $39.95