Dandelion Vineyards 'Pride of the Fleurieu' Cabernet Sauvignon

Dandelion Vineyards is the venture of self-titled 'typist' Zar Brooks, his winemaking wife Elena and growers Carl Lindner and Brad Rey, with wines made from the Barossa and Eden Valleys, Fleurieu and McLaren Vale. Nick Stock, one of Australia's leading journalists, has described Dandelion as follows: 'Brooks has teamed up with his wine making wife Elena, a woman whose talents are outweighed only by her tolerance, in an exciting new venture called Dandelion Vineyards. The approach is remarkably simple and sees Elena making wine from a suite of beautiful old vineyards identified by Carl Lindner and Brad Rey across that blessed curve that runs from the Barossa, up through the Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills and down into McLaren Vale.

Cabernet Sauvignon,

With a prime position overlooking the Finniss River wetlands, Stranger's Reach vineyard is cooled by the maritime influence of the Great Southern Ocean and nearby Lake Alexandrina. Deep alluvial soils and low rainfall help the tough Cabernet vines produce rich flavours in the berries.

Selected bunches were hand picked by family and friends on 16th 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 wine making artifact, to capture the essence of the vineyard.

This Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark purple colour with bright violet edges. On the nose, it has aromas of blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and cassis, with hints of menthol and fennel. The palate is rich, deep and intensely flavoured with blueberry and blackberry. It has round, powdery Cabernet tannins that are softened by smooth, mouth-filling fruit before an extended finish.