Dandelion Vineyards, Barossa Valley (South Australia) Shiraz 2019

 Winemaker Elena Brooks became acquainted with wine making from an early age. She was born in Bulgaria where her mother handled marketing for a winery.  She worked with wineries in Bulgaria and Italy before she moved to Australia to study winemaking at Adelaide University.  She married Zar Brooks and they — along with growers Carl Lindner and Brad Rey — co-founded Dandelion Vineyards.  The grapes come from very old vines, some likely over 100 years old, planted on their own roots. They named this wine Lionheart in honor of Carl Lindner, who is an ardent champion of old vines.  The wine’s very dark, dense ruby color promises the concentrated black fruits of berry, cherry, plum enlaced with baking spices and vanilla.  It is smooth as velvet in the mouth and very nicely balanced with fresh acidity and fine grained tannins.  It is a surprisingly and delightfully easy to drink Barossa Shiraz.