Radford Wines Eden Valley Shiraz 2006
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2010
FIVE STAR WINERY I HIGHLY RECOMMENDED I 93 POINTS
"Bright colour, touch of reduction, with a savoury dark array of fruit; medium-bodied, dry and with a mineral quality to the palate. A firm and long finish." Drink to 2018
Huon Hooke – Good Living, Sydney Morning Herald, October 2009
For the cellar. 93 POINTS – "Ben Radford became the winemaker at Rockford in 07/ the Radford wines are mostly made by his wife, Gill. This has a soft, typical Eden Valley mulberry-lefy aroma, with mixed-berry and cassis overtones. It’s smooth, sweet-fruited and gentle with medium body and excellent drinkability. Drink – 2019"
Nick Stock - The Penguin Good Australian wine Guide 2010
95 POINTS - "A new livery, a new seal and a very confident step along the path towards excellence here – this has a distinctive air of Eden Valley’s lofty spice and fragrance with the requisite understated power to place it at the front of the pack. Dark blackberry and plum fruits, and dark spices, some pepper and fragrant, cedary oak are here too. The palate moves through red fruits and really showcases regional spice amid finely sheeted tannins and fresh, bright acid crunch. Lovely structural build, superb balance and outstanding quality for the money."
Gary Walsh - The Wine Front (www.winefront.com.au <http://www.winefront.com.au> )
93 POINTS - "400 dozen made of this dangerous booze… Chocolate mint biscuit, nuts, rich berry fruit and low oak - certainly has some spice and a sort of mentholated/aniseed lift about it too. It’s medium to full bodied with smooth supple tannin and abundant flavour - although it is quite sweet in a fruity cherry ripe kind of style. Good long finish with powder fine tannins and ripe juicy fruit to close. Gentle and seductive - lovely to drink now, although possibly a bit better and more interesting later? Either way it’s very good drinking. I think I have the score right, but it’s one of those wines where palate preferences will come strongly into play." DRINK TO 2016
Fergus McGhie – The Canberra Times Food & Wine, July 09
FIVE STARS - The Radford Shiraz on the other hand is far more affordable and a delicious example of Eden Valley shiraz. Of course there is one Eden Valley Shiraz that we’ve all heard of, and it’s more than 10 times the price of the Radford. It’s from a single vineyard called Hill of Grace and the wine, made by the Henschke family is one of the great Australian shirazes. It makes me think it could be worth putting a few Radfords away in the cellar. A month ago I tried the Radford Eden Valley Riesling, which I enjoyed, but the best was yet to come. Now in the middle of winter, the Shiraz has truly impressed. Like drinking velvet and licorice with layers of bright red fruits, this is a superb modern Eden Valley Shiraz that I found hard to resist sampling again and again.
Ken Gargett – The Courier Mail (?), July 09?
93 POINTS - "Keeper" This Eden Valley red shows white pepper and spice along with the dark berry fruit on the nose and palate, with a touch of vanilla oak. Try it now with a good steak.
Cambell Mattison - The Wine Front (www.winefront.com.au <http://www.winefront.com.au> ), August 2009
94 points – "This is the wine of Gill and Ben Radford with Gill listed as winemaker. Interestingly, Ben is now the winemaker at Rockford wines, which will prick the ears of many subscribers to The Wine Front I suspect. There’s and easy going don’t try-too-hard aspect to this wine that seems distinctly Rockfordian I reckon. It’s made from grapes grown on a few Eden Valley vineyards with is probably why it can’t be labelled bio-dynamic, even though the Radfords home vineyard is run bio-dynamically. The wine itself is good. It starts to taste sweet, almost jammy, but is then taken over by a clear line of savoury, earthen flavour. There are flavours here of boysenberries, violets and coal, with a clever clip of French oak adding class and not much else. Hint of mint, but only if you’re sensitivie to it. A lovely wine all round. It’s no a huge wine, but it’s flavoursome enough, and very nicely balanced. It will cellar well."
Nick Stock - WINE 100 (WBM), August 2009
95 POINTS - "Distinctive Eden Valley spice and fragrance with enough power to place this at the front of the new wave pack. Dark fruits and dark spices, some pepper and fragrant cedary oak all settling nicely into place; the palate moves to red fruits amid fine tannins and fresh, bright acid crunch. Terrific structure and balance."
Louise Radman, The Adelaide Review Hot 100, 2009
"Handpicked fruit fromthe high, quartz rich, nutrition poor soils of the Eden Valley has helped Ben and Gill Radford create a Shiraz with a distinctively vivid, edgy personality. "Vibrant, light blueberry fruits, classic liquorice spice and stylish soft tannins."
Radford Wines Eden Valley Shiraz 2005
Nick Stock WBM100 October 2007
“ ....Radford Wines has harnessed some magic, with plenty of complexity, ripe red berry fruits, spice & oak swirling around ...... precise and elegant, integrated and balanced”