DANDELION VINEYARDS LIONHEART of the BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2021

Trophy for Champion Shiraz – New Zealand International Wine Show 2022
Double Gold – New Zealand International Wine Show 2022
Gold Medal – Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards 2023
Gold Medal – Sommelier Challange IWSC San Diego 2022

Produced by the brilliant winemaking duo Elena and Zar Brooks from an ancient Barossa vineyard with many of the vines now over a century old. Dandelion Lionheart is a generous mouthfilling Shiraz with beautiful fruit flavours, luxurious texture and fine structure.

Decanter (UK) magazine said of them…"Dandelion is a partnership between three exceptionally connected and deeply experienced couples in South Australian winemaking, sourcing from old vineyards on prized sites across the state. The wines were noteworthy from the outset, and have become ever more refined with each passing year of experience." They're doing some great things and the Lionheart Shiraz is an excellent place to get a feel for what they do.

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"The Lionheart of Dandelion Vineyards is our old vine Barossa vineyard. These ancient, gnarled vines, many over a hundred years of age, are not only surviving but thriving on their own roots in some of the oldest soils on the planet.

The 2021 Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz is a deep and velvety and dark purple with an unfiltered plushness. On the nose, dark liqueur chocolate freshly grated and earth freshly dug with a well-cared-for shovel. Rosemary flowers as you brush by them; violets at first light; plums about to fall from the tree; white pepper in the mortar. Gentle oak undertones then play bouquet’s role all so sotto voce: mocha, and old old furniture not over polished. Aromatics return with bay leaf and then minerals and graphite. Barossa au naturel. On the palate, depth yet freshness. An acid undertow stretching and straightening a cloud of ripe and super-fine, minerally, powdery shiraz tannins. The body of fruit bobs and bathes in an exuberant and frisky fashion, adding yet another dimension to this every questioning and entertaining red wine…"

Judges' Comments, NZIWS 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Deep, dense violet purple – nearly black in the glass. Blackberries, boysenberry and dark chocolate saturate the bouquet and the palate. Layers of dark fruit flavours are structured nicely by more savoury notes of black pepper and spicy oak."

93/100 James Halliday's Wine Companion (2021 Vintage)
"There is a lot to like here with a distinctly contemporary take on a classic Barossa style that centres around fruit purity and pure drinkability. Super-ripe black cherry, blackberry and satsuma plum fruits, an array of spice, purple florals, licorice and kirsch tones, superfine sandy tannins and bright cadence, despite the opulence of the fruit. Pretty impressive stuff at this pricepoint."

Reviews for the 2020 vintage below…

5 Stars & 95/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, January 2023 (2020 Vintage)
"Opulent and richly expressed, the wine shows black/blueberry, dark chocolate, cedar and mixed spice characters on the nose, leading to a powerfully weighted palate delivering layers of silken texture and juicy fruit flavours. Beautifully supported by well-integrated tannins, making it highly enjoyable. At its best: now to 2035."