Dandelion Vineyards – Wine Reviews
Our wines represent decades of experience, blending the fruit of our heirloom vineyards with the finest traditions of artisan winemaking – dandelionvineyards.com.au
Firstly, a big thank you to Dandelion Vineyards in South Australia for sending us the below wines to try. We absolutely loved our tasting journey through the wines and getting to know this Halliday 5 Star Winery.
My tasting notes:
Disclosure: These wines were sent to me as samples, I was under no obligation to post about them. All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!
Dandelion Vineyards Fairytale of the Barossa Rose 2020
“Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a Fairytale”
Anyone else totally swooning at that quote?
Hello Miss Fairytale of the Barossa aka the Dandelion Vineyards 2020 Grenache Rosé from South Australia.
I thought it’d be the perfect tipple to enjoy over a video chat with Travelling Piccolo. It was only about 1pm here on a Friday, but hey, the 2 of us cannot catch up without wine being involved somehow!
Elena Brooks is the talented winemaker behind this tipple which retails for $27.50
“At the end of our old-vine garden path there is a Fairytale come true, our 90 year old bush vine Grenache garden at Gomersal in Nuriootpa.”
It’s hand picked, fermented in old French Oak barriques, on lees for 20 weeks and bottled without secondary fermentation, fining or filtration.
We found it a pinky bronze shade in the glass with yummy aromas of freshly cut lemon, just picked raspberries and some pretty florals. While in the mouth it’s fresh, juicy and dainty. Red berries and citrus coming through in perfect unison. Whimsical much like the name.
Dandelion Vineyards 2018 ‘Lion’s Den of McLaren Vale’ Shiraz
This is a limited release and retails for $40 via dandelionvineyards.com.au
It’s a stunning deep velvet red colour in the glass with delicious aromas of vanilla infused blackberries and smooth oak. It’s an iron fist in a velvet glove type of wine! In the mouth you are enticed by dark fruits like black plums and cassis and oh my does this one have a looooooong finish. Deep, dark and downright delicious.
We aerated this one, which really helped to smooth it out.
Single Vineyard – Handpicked – Whole Bunches – 20 months in French Oak – Vegan Friendly – 14.5% alcohol
Dandelion Vineyard 2020 ‘Honeypot of the Barossa’ Roussanne
Tasted – 31 January 2021
Let’s talk about the white grape variety called Roussanne. Have you heard of it yet?
It’s a popular grape used in France’s Rhône Valley where it’s often blended with Marsanne. It has a signature honeysuckle aroma. Hence why Dandelion Vineyards name their Roussanne ‘Honeypot of the Barossa’.
I tried this wine back in 2018 at Wine Island in Sydney. We matched it with fish tacos and it was an amazing combo.
The wine itself has a lovely golden sheen to it. That signature honeysuckle definitely comes through on the nose with some apple sweetness, florals and citrus. In the mouth it’s juicy and has the perfect amount of acidity. Apples, spice and a bit of minerality come through for me. Lovely texture and a nice dry finish. $27.50 a bottle
Dandelion Vineyards Menagerie of the Barossa GSM 2019
GSM = Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro which are the 3 grape varieties that go into this ‘Menagerie’ from Dandelion Vineyards in South Australia.
- Vintage: 2019
- Grape Variety: 70% Grenache, 25% Shiraz, 5% Mataro
- Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Price: $30 via dandelionvineyards.com.au
- Winemaker: Elena Brooks
- Other: Vegan friendly, Barossa Wine Show 2020 – Gold Medal 95 Points
It’s a pretty deep ruby colour in the glass. On the nose it has a bit of a sarsaparilla smell to it with hints of juicy plums and red liquorice. It really does make you lick your lips! In the mouth it’s full bodied and decadent with a nicely developed tannin structure and plentiful tasty cherries and dark chocolate on the finish. Absolutely delightful and my tasting note definitely doesn’t do it justice.
So so good Lynn! Well hopefully one day, once we are through this pandemic, you can come and visit 🙂
That Honeypot of the Barossa sounds fantastic. Gosh, I wish it was easier to get Austrailian wines in France!