DANDELION VINEYARDS PRIDE of the FLEURIEU CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019

Winery notes (2019 Vintage)
​"This Pride of the Fleurieu Cabernet was grown in the family's pride and joy, overlooking the Finniss River wetlands, Tony Brooks and Prof. Barbara Santich's dry grown Stranger's Reach vineyard cooled by the Great Southern Ocean and Lake Alexandrina where low rainfall and deep alluvial soils encourage Cabernet to populate or perish.

Selected bunches were hand picked by family and friends in the second week of March and gently crushed into open top fermenters. After 14 days fermentation the wine was then basket pressed into some new but predominately older French Oak Barriques for 18 months maturation and then bottled with minimal winemaking artifact, to capture the essence of the vineyard and will reward cellaring and decanting.​

The nose is scented blueberries, cassis and anise aromas with baking spice, cedar and blackberry notes. Rich, deep, full-flavoured, blueberry, black plums, figs and milk chocolate flavours. Tobacco, spearmint and soft powdery Cabernet tannins softened by smooth, mouth-filling fruit before a really extended finish."

93/100 Ned Goodwin, James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion (2019 Vintage)
"I have great affection for cabernet from the Fleurieu, with its bold flavours and inimitable maritime salinity, the latter marking the tannins while placing the wines. Here we have a cornucopia of blackcurrant, menthol, pastille, iodine, violet, olive spread and sage. The tannins, firm, salty and crusted with herb. The barriques, seamlessly integrated and part of the mould. A moreish, powerful and delicious wine."