WTN: 2002 (dis) Rockford Sparkling Black Shiraz

Yum, I love my sparkling reds. A classic.. it exhibits vibrant aromas of plum, truffles and cherry. The palate fills the mouth with intricate layers of densely packed, juicy cherries and fresh liquorice with a hint of mulberry and mushroom/truffles. Superb length and a lingering finish of blackfruits.

(94 Points)

[Jenise]

Mark, I too like sparkling reds, and I envy you the popularity of these in your country. Would love to see more producers playing with the concept, especially drier styles with grapes like Cabernet. While travelling the Coonawarra, I recall a stunning sparkling cab (though I can't remember the producer) that's just the type of wine I'm talking about. And I have a bottle of Rymills in the fridge right now, that's a red blend and supposedly drier (than many of the Shirazes). Are you seeing more variety there in this style of wine these days?

This is a great wine to share with friends. On a recent visit to Cairns our host took me to a friend/collector's home after our day snorkling on the Great Barrier Reef. We enjoyed a 98 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay with some cheeses and he showed us his 2500 bottle cellar with Granges from 20 years past and his 8 cases of Rockford Sparkling Black. As a gift he gave me one of the older NV Rockfords. Needless to say it was the highlight of our going away dinner and my wife's favorite! Still looking for a good sparkling shiraz that is readily available here in Washington State. The Vixen is the best I can find currently.