96–98pts | Australia’s Most Iconic Barossa Shiraz

The 2019 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz is one of Australia’s most celebrated and sought-after red wines — a wine that has defined Barossa Valley Shiraz for over four decades. Made by Robert O’Callaghan using century-old vines and a traditional basket press, this is a wine of extraordinary depth, power, and longevity.

My Wine Man on Rockford
Rockford is the antithesis of modern, commercial winemaking. Robert O’Callaghan — known simply as “Rocky” — has been making Basket Press from the same ancient Barossa vines since 1984, using equipment that most wineries retired generations ago. The result is a wine of unmatched authenticity: thick-skinned, old-vine fruit pressed slowly and gently, then aged in large old oak. There is nothing else quite like it in Australia.

Tasting Notes
Deep, brooding ruby with a complex nose of dark chocolate, violet perfume, mahogany, and toasty oak. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated — rich dark fruit, coffee, iodine, and silty tannin on a finish of exceptional intensity and length. Thick and sure-footed, with the structure to age for 15–20+ years.

Food Pairing
A thick-skinned, century-vine Barossa Shiraz like this deserves the finest beef. We love it with Australian Grass-Fed Cape Grim Rib-Eye Steak from My Meat Man — dry-aged and char-grilled medium-rare with bone-marrow butter, the wine’s dark chocolate, violet, iodine, coffee and silty tannin profile is a magnificent match for the rich marbling while keeping the pairing structured and elegant.

Why This Is a Smart Buy
Rockford Basket Press is one of the most allocated wines in Australia — production is tiny and demand far exceeds supply. At HK$1,088, this is a wine that trades hands at auction for multiples of its release price. With 96–98pt scores and a track record of ageing magnificently, this is as much an investment as it is a pleasure.

Looking for a Different Style?

• 2020 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz — the next vintage, same iconic wine
• 2018 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz — previous vintage with a year of additional bottle age
• 2001 Rockford SVS Hoffmann Shiraz — single-vineyard step-up from the same estate, now 20+ years old