Dandelion Vineyards Red Queen of the Eden Valley Shiraz 2019
Deep purple-crimson. An immensely complex, dark, brooding character, red and black fruits, pepper and spice, with liquorice and tar on the nose. Lingering black fruit on the palate, with pepper seasoning.
The Red Queen of the Eden Valley vineyard is owned and managed by vigneron Colin Kroehn and was 101 years old in vintage 2012. These ancient, gnarled vines are not only surviving but thriving on their own roots in some of the oldest soils on the planet.
Whole bunches of ripe Shiraz grapes were hand harvested, then two thirds of the grapes were gently crushed over a third of whole bunch fruit and naturally fermented in open fermenters for 11 days, hand plunged three times a day, before careful basket pressing French oak barriques (50% new, 50% one year old), to complete fermentation. After two and a half years maturation and a racking in the same oak, the wine was bottled.
| RRP | £75.99 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14.5% |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | South Australia |
| Subregion | Eden Valley |
| Grapes | Shiraz 100% |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Screwcap |
| Winemaker | Elena Brooks |
Dandelion Vineyards is the venture of talented winemaker Elena Brooks, and her husband Zar. Their project makes wines from the Barossa and Eden Valleys, Fleurieu, the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale.
Elena hails from Bulgaria. Her mother worked for a local producer, and so much of Elena’s childhood was spent in a winery. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria’s rich winemaking history attracted visiting winemakers from across the globe. As a result, Elena met many international winemakers visiting her mother's workplace. As the only English speaker, she began interpreting barrel room tastings for these visitors at the age of 12. By 15 she was well-versed in the ins and outs of the winemaking process and by 16 she had made her first wine. After formal study and stints making wine worldwide, Elena eventually settled in McLaren Vale with Zar and founded Dandelion Vineyards.
Nick Stock, one of Australia’s leading journalists, wrote about Dandelion Vineyards saying, “The approach is remarkably simple and sees Elena making wine from a suite of beautiful old vineyards across that blessed curve that runs from the Barossa, up through the Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills and down into McLaren Vale.”
Dandelion Vineyards is the venture of talented winemaker Elena Brooks, and her husband Zar. Their project makes wines from the Barossa and Eden Valleys, Fleurieu, the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale.
Elena hails from Bulgaria. Her mother worked for a local producer, and so much of Elena’s childhood was spent in a winery. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria’s rich winemaking history attracted visiting winemakers from across the globe. As a result, Elena met many international winemakers visiting her mother's workplace. As the only English speaker, she began interpreting barrel room tastings for these visitors at the age of 12. By 15 she was well-versed in the ins and outs of the winemaking process and by 16 she had made her first wine. After formal study and stints making wine worldwide, Elena eventually settled in McLaren Vale with Zar and founded Dandelion Vineyards.
Nick Stock, one of Australia’s leading journalists, wrote about Dandelion Vineyards saying, “The approach is remarkably simple and sees Elena making wine from a suite of beautiful old vineyards across that blessed curve that runs from the Barossa, up through the Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills and down into McLaren Vale.”
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