Dandelion Vineyards Enchanted Garden of the Eden Valley Riesling 2021
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Enthusiast
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This 2021 Enchanted Garden of the Eden Valley Riesling was bottled directly with minimal winemaking artifact to capture the essence of the vineyard, a looking glass if you will, and is ready to drink immediately or cellar for decades.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Some herbs, spice and fresh lime and lemon-peel aromas on offer here, with a light peppery edge, too. The plate is framed in zesty acidity and holds fresh apple and ice fruit flavor. Chalky, fresh and dry finish.
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Decanter
A mineral-driven, bone dry wine with a floral, talc nose, a fresh juicy palate and a lovely texture. Good value at this price.
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Wine Enthusiast
For those who prefer their Riesling on the reductive side, this wine’s prominent aromas of kerosene, flint and beeswax will be welcome. Waxy citrus and ginger spice follow. There’s a roundness to the palate, even with the lifted of acidity. It’s more austere and straightforward than the nose suggests, but it also could make for versatile food pairing.
Other Vintages
2022-
Companion
Australian Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
Dandelion Vineyards are proven plantings that have stood the test of time. We grow our own grapes and source from the best of family vineyards. Our wish is to nurture the unique character of these vineyards and express their terroir in our wines.
We believe that to capture variety, vintage and vineyard requires an enlightened approach. Separating single sites, and even single soil types, vine by vine if need be.
Dandelion Vineyards is a unique fusion of vineyards and vignerons. Our wines represent decades of experience, blending the fruit of our heirloom vineyards with the finest traditions of artisan winemaking. Dandelion Vineyards combination of old vineyards and young winemaker and a couple of mates to help out in-between which we believe makes for the ideal winery.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Higher in elevation and topographically more dramatic than the Barossa Valley floor, Eden Valley abuts it to its south and east. While it is a bit of an extension of Barossa, Eden Valley is topographically different than the pastoral Barossa Valley, and is composed of rocky hills and eucalyptus groves.
Recognizing Eden Valley’s potential with Riesling in the 1960s and 70s, producers started to move their Riesling production from Barossa to these better sites where schist soils on hilltops would produce more steely, tart and age-worthy examples. A most famous site, planted by Colin Gramp, called Steingarten, today produces one of the most outstanding Australian Rieslings. Youthful Eden Valley Rieslings express floral, grapefruit and mineral, while with time in the bottle, they become increasingly toasty and complex.
Riesling isn’t the only grape the region can grow; undeniably at lower altitudes Shiraz does very well. Mount Edelstone is a notable vineyard as well as the Hill of Grace, which boasts healthy Shiraz vines well over 100 years old. This is the only Australian region where Merlot has a made a name for itself and Chardonnay can be spectacular, particularly from the High Eden subregion in the southern valley.