Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2022

The 2022 Basket Press Shiraz hails from a lovely season in Barossa. It was butted up against the sensational 2021 (long, mild, dry) vintage, and after a series of challenging, low-yielding and hot seasons, both 2021 and 2022 were very welcome. 2022 could possibly live in the shadow of its predecessor, however the slightly wetter conditions made for attractively open and approachable wines on release. Long may they live. So here, the 2022 Basket Press Shiraz leads with its élevage initially, but after 20 or so minutes in a glass (most will decant this wine prior to drinking, and that is recommended), the fruit emerges with alacrity. This is a wine that has a long history of reliable cellaring, and I recently had a 2010 that looked sensational 15 years from its harvest—and it has many, many more years ahead of it too. This drinking window may be conservative, so you may make up your own mind there.
The wine has a structure of dried spices, kicked ironstone gravels, sumac, aniseed, dark chocolate and roasted meat, while the fruit is folded into the tucks and folds of the abundant tannins. The wine essentially concertinas in the mouth, opening to show lashings of flavor and spice. It's old school, but it ever was; and the reliable adherence to the Rockford style is both comforting and reassuring. The ripeness/alcohol feels somewhat toned down from old, and that too is welcome. 13.8% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate