Dandelion Vineyards are proven plantings that have stood the test of time. The wish is to nurture the unique character of these vineyards and express their terroir in the wines. “When I see a weed I see the Devil” is an old grower’s mantra, but Dandelion Vineyards encourage the humble Dandelion amongst the vines as they suppress winter weeds, provide mulch in summer, and their Wishing Clocks to blow off in Spring.

The colour is vibrant pale yellow with hues of gold. The aroma is like spring in the Adelaide Hills. A veritable ripening of stone fruit, especially white peaches and nectarine in the market gardens, butter melon, rock melon and cooking leeks in butter. The French oak smells are a terrific frame for the stone fruit. Overall it has a 3 dimensional quality to the aromas, ripening stone fruit and some creamy & succulent French oak.

A Riesling that is both delicate and textural. The 219 is expressive and more overt than other years, with wonderful flavours. The grapes were all hand picked. Half were whole bunch pressed and half were crushed and pressed, each fermented separately. The wine was blended and then spent four months on lees prior to bottling. Riesling Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They make wines exclusively from the Adelaide Hills, from varieties that suit the cooler climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith own two vineyards, in Lenswood and Balhannah. Balhannah is also home to the winery where the Tasting Room is open daily. Shaw + Smiths first vintage was in 1990, and the early vintages were made at Wirra Wirra and Petaluma. In 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines, and built the winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage. In 2012 they purchased an established 20 hectare vineyard in Lenswood. As the business has grown Michael and Martin have built a formidable team to continue the evolution of Shaw + Smith, including Master of Wine David LeMire, Senior Winemaker Adam Wadewitz, Business Manager Grant Lovelock and Group Viticulturist Murray Leake.

A complex array of melon fig and cashew aromas is followed by a typically elegant and subtle palate with beautifully integrated oak. Petaluma had set a benchmark in Australian Chardonnay.

Riesling has a strong affinity for the cooler climes of the World, and it is therefore no surprise that it would produce wines of great character in the Adelaide Hills. Whilst we made the hard decision to graft some of our Riesling vines over to Pinot Noir some years back, we have retained only the most promising clones to produce our Riesling as its perhaps the top white pick amongst staff and remains a labour of love. The Riesling crop, whilst minuscule, showed hallmark varietal characters and fine acidity nurtured by the cool nights and warm sunny days. Careful sampling in the vineyard, paying particular attention to flavour development and acid levels, meant the fruit was harvested on the 14th of March when the ideal balance was reached. Lifted floral aromas and the lively citrus fruit intensity are finely balanced by the tight structure and crisp natural acidity.