93–95pts James Halliday | An Homage to the Barossa's Champion of Old Vines

The 2023 Dandelion Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz is a tribute to Carl Lindner — the Barossa's lifelong champion of old vines and one of the region's most important figures. Sourced from ancient Barossa vineyards, this is a wine of real depth and generosity: plushly fruited, finely structured, and built on the kind of old-vine concentration that only the Barossa can deliver.

My Wine Man on Dandelion Vineyards

Dandelion Vineyards was founded by Elena Brooks and Zar Brooks with a mission to celebrate the Barossa and Eden Valley's extraordinary old-vine heritage. The Lionheart is their flagship Barossa Shiraz — named for Carl Lindner, whose decades of advocacy helped preserve the ancient vines that make wines like this possible. Without people like Carl, much of this fruit would have been pulled out long ago. This is a wine with a story worth telling.

Tasting Notes

Deep magenta/purple in the glass with a complex nose of satsuma plum, black cherry, and blueberry fruit with hints of fruitcake, pressed flowers, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate, espresso, earth, and liquorice. The palate is plushly fruited with fine, silty tannins and bright acidity that keeps everything lifted and balanced. Rich, generous, and deeply satisfying.

Style & Drinking Window

Full-bodied with generous dark fruit and fine, well-integrated tannins. Drinking beautifully now and will continue to develop over the next 4–6 years. Decant for 30–45 minutes to open up the aromatics.

Perfect Food Pairing

A bold Shiraz like this calls for premium grass-fed beef — try with the Cape Grim Grass-Fed Rump Steak, available from our sister store My Meat Man.

Why This Is a Smart Buy

At HK$219, the Lionheart delivers old-vine Barossa Shiraz of genuine quality and provenance. With 93–95pt Halliday scores, a compelling story behind every bottle, and Dandelion's track record for consistency, this is a wine that over-delivers at its price point. A great choice for entertaining, gifting, or any occasion that calls for a serious Barossa red.

Looking for a Different Style?

Explore more premium Barossa Shiraz:

• 2023 Torbreck The Struie Shiraz — peer Barossa old-vine producer at a similar price point
• 2022 John Duval Entity Shiraz — premium Barossa Shiraz from the former Penfolds Grange winemaker
• 2022 Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Valley Shiraz — bold, concentrated Barossa Shiraz from another celebrated producer