2022 Dandelion Lion’s Tooth of McLaren Vale Shiraz Riesling, McLaren Vale

Yes, you read it correctly, this is Shiraz with about 6% Riesling. It’s a little different, but of course there are plenty of examples using a dab of white fruit behind the ears of the red. Shiraz Viognier is the best known and Peter Lehmann back in the day used to work Shiraz with a little Muscadelle. Spicy cherry and plum with a slightly leafy character. The palate has a grainy chalky texture with a firm core of tannins and a light touch of oak. Vibrant and brilliant.

94 points Ray Jordan winepilot.com

Whole bunches from our most distinctive Shiraz from Pieri family’s Vineyard were hand harvested in the second week of March, then and fermented on stalks in open fermenters on top of some Riesling skins for eleven days, hand plunged twice a day, before careful basket pressing into some new but predominantly older French Oak Barriques to finish fermentation and enhance the wine’s perfume and palate.

After 18 months maturation and a racking in the same oak, we bottled this Lion’s Tooth without filtration or fining, to capture the essence of the vineyard.