Rockford Moppa Springs Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2020

Rockford Wines is a renowned wine producer located in the iconic Barossa Valley of Australia. Established in the early 1980s by Robert O'Callaghan, it has gained recognition as one of the most distinguished wineries in Australia, producing premium Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. O'Callaghan commenced his career as a trainee winemaker in 1965 at Seppelt in Rutherglen, Victoria. In 1971, he relocated to the Barossa and acquired two hectares (five acres) of land beneath the Barossa ranges, where he planted vines and built a winery in the style of the 1850s stone cottage. Rockford's first vintage was released in 1984. Rockford's commitment to producing exceptional wines involves working in partnership with several independent wine growers around the Barossa region. Many of the vines are planted on their own rootstocks and are up to 130 years old, resulting in intense, concentrated grapes and wines with the same attributes. The winemaking process at Rockford is largely traditional, utilizing basket presses, open-topped slate fermenters and a 1880s petrol-driven Bagshaw destemmer/crusher.

The Barossa is a wine region in South Australia named after an English victory in the Spanish Peninsular War. It has two sub-regions, the Eden Valley and the Barossa Valley floor. The area experiences a warm Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and low rainfall, and is characterized by rich brown soils and alluvial sands. The Barossa is home to Australia's largest concentration of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre, with many vineyards dating back over a century, making it a popular destination for wine enthusiasts. The Barossa Valley is a world-renowned wine producing area, home to over 150 wineries and 80 cellar doors. It is distinguished by its rich reds and fortified wines. Interestingly, the region is also home to the world's oldest continuously producing vines of Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, Cabernet sauvignon and Semillon. These vines are a testament to the region's long-standing history and expertise in winemaking.

Moppa Springs, Ebenezer and Kalimna are some of the driest areas in the Barossa, where green vines grow on one side of the fence and ripened wheat on the other. These challenging conditions of cold, wet and frosty pruning, followed by hot, dry and dusty harvest, are what make Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro thrive and give their best. These varieties, along with the families who have grown them for over 150 years, have earned the right to represent the Barossa in this blend, having survived when others could not. Rockford has maintained the Barossa tradition by crushing the grapes through the Bagshaw crusher, fermenting them in open slate tanks, pressing them through baskets, and softening the wine through maturation in large vats and seasoned hogsheads. By bottle-aging the wine for two to three years, it will have a chance to fully showcase its Barossa birthright.

The Rockford Moppa Springs Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2020 is a wine that offers pretty good value. It has an old-school feel with a hint of walnut, but there is also a mix of perfume in the aroma. The wine features red and black fruit, along with savoury tobacco and dark chocolate flavours. It has a medium body with fine-grained tannins, giving it a dark taste while still keeping it pretty fresh. The finish is good, making it a well-rounded wine that is sure to please.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Grenache, Mataro, Shiraz
Country - Australia
Region - Barossa Valley, South Australia
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.8%