2022 Dandelion Firehawk Shiraz, McLaren Vale

From the estate vineyard, Firehawk Farm. This saw 18 months in French oak, a third new, and classy oak at that, gifting fine vanilla bean, char and gentle caramel notes to the boysenberry, blackberry danish, red plum and sour cherry fruit notes. There are also hints of violet, lilac and anise pastille, and a little smoky coal dust savouriness. This will be better in a year or two, but it’s delicious drinking either way. Drink 2025 to 2035.

95 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2025

From the first take on the nose this exceptional McLaren Vale Shiraz had me. A largely minimalist approach has been taken here and the result is a wine of suppleness and plush mouthfeel. In fact, the soft texture is a feature but there is substance with the power and intensity of the fruit evident. A sprinkle of black pepper and a trace of thyme completes things. Drink 2024 to 2034.

95 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, February 2024

The fruit here hails from a single vineyard which overlooks Willunga in McLaren Vale, which the team believe provides their best Shiraz. The Firehawk is a native bird of prey which has proved invaluable to the local winemakers as they eat rabbits and help scare away birds which like the grapes. Two weeks fermentation before basket pressing into French barriques for a year and a half maturing, with one-third of the barriques new. Dark maroon colour, the nose has some earthy notes, cloves, dark berries, leather, tar, tobacco leaves, coffee grinds and chocolate. A savoury style, it offers generosity with a soft and slightly creamy texture. The palate sees the emergence of cassis, espresso notes and more black fruits. Soft tannins with a very long finish, this is impressive stuff. Expect it to provide pleasure for at least the next twelve to fifteen years. Drink 2024 to 2039.

94 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, June 2024

The cerebral 2022 Shiraz Firehawk of McLaren Vale has a strong savory bent thanks to roasted olive, granite and just-ripe blackberry aromas dusted with Middle Eastern spices. Super-tight and compact, with rivers of rustic tannins and well-defined firm layers of lengthy flavor, the 2022 is young and strong. It needs plenty of time. Drink 2028 to 2035.

92 points Angus Hughson for Vinous, April 2025

Excellent depth here, showing a heap of blackberries, dark chocolate, asphalt and a touch of cured meat. Full-bodied and quite firm with plenty of tannins that gently grip the dark fruit before a slightly tart but lengthy finish. Drink or hold.

92 points Zekun Shuai for James Suckling, November 2024

Enticing notes of iron shavings, sweet spices and violets lure you in. The flowing palate is awash with black berries and spices, it takes a savoury turn suggesting oak is at play here, and then fruit flavours prevail. This is a handsomely styled shiraz that can be enjoyed now or further down the track. Drink 2025 to 2031.

91 points Gabrielle Poy for The Real Review, December 2024

Elena Brooks founded Dandelion Vineyards with a clear intent: to make wines that speak plainly of the places they come from. Born in Bulgaria and trained in oenology in Australia, she has worked vintages across Europe and South Australia before settling in McLaren Vale. Her winemaking philosophy is built around restraint — spending time in the vineyard, then stepping back in the winery.

Firehawk Farm is a 60-acre property on an ancient ridge at 169 metres above sea level, overlooking McLaren Vale, the Willunga Escarpment and the Gulf of St Vincent. Forty acres are under vine — Shiraz, Grenache and Petite Sirah — grown on limestone and ironstone soils, certified organic and biodynamic since 2022. The elevation and the proximity to the coast give the site a natural freshness that marks the wines grown here.

Fruit was hand-picked in early March and fermented for 14 days in open-top fermenters before basket pressing to French oak barriques — one third new, the balance seasoned — for 18 months of maturation. The approach was deliberately light-handed, the winemaking working around the fruit rather than on top of it.

The 2022 Firehawk is about texture and composure rather than brute weight. Boysenberry, dark plum, blackberry and sour cherry on the nose, with violet, anise and a savoury undercurrent of tobacco, coffee and coal dust. The palate is plush and almost creamy in texture with fine, quietly building tannins and a long, well-defined finish.

The wine's dark fruit, soft tannins and savoury depth will go well with slow-braised beef cheeks with red wine and mushrooms.

A wine with enough generosity to enjoy now and enough structure to reward patience. Drink now through 2035.