Dandelion Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Pride of the Fleurieu 2020

Dandelion Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Pride of the Fleurieu 2020 is an unfiltered, unfined 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, bottled at 14.5% ABV in 750ml format. Awarded 94 points by James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion, this single-vineyard red stands as one of the most ambitious Cabernets produced in the Fleurieu zone.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.5%  |  Origin: Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia  |  Vintage: 2020  |  Winery: Dandelion Vineyards

Production & Heritage

Dandelion Vineyards sources this wine from the Stranger's Reach Vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula, a site overlooking the Finniss River wetlands where ocean breezes from the Great Southern Ocean and the cooling influence of Lake Alexandrina shape the growing season. Low rainfall and deep alluvial soils push the Cabernet vines toward intensity and concentration. Selected bunches were hand-picked by family and friends, gently crushed into open-top fermenters, and left on skins for 14 days before basket pressing into French oak barriques — 10% new, 90% older — for 18 months of maturation. The wine was bottled with only a dosage of sulfur, with no fining or filtering, preserving its raw vineyard character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with blackcurrant and blueberry, followed by eucalyptus, dried tobacco, and a cedar-tinged oak influence. Deeper in the glass, cigar box, menthol pastille, and violet emerge alongside savoury notes of olive tapenade and sage.

Taste: The palate entry is dense and supple, with a wave of dark fruits — blackberry, blueberry, and plum — layered over spiced cherry and plum preserve. Mid-palate weight is considerable, supported by firm, structured tannins that carry a salty, herbal crust. A chocolaty oak thread weaves through the fruit without overwhelming it.

Finish: Long and drying, with grippy tannins that slowly release blackcurrant and bramble. Eucalyptus and iodine linger alongside fine wood spice, holding the palate's attention well after the last sip.

How to Drink Pride of the Fleurieu

This Cabernet rewards patient drinking — serve it at 16–18°C and consider decanting for 30 to 60 minutes to allow the tannins to soften and the aromatic layers to fully unfold. Neat in a large-bowled glass is the ideal approach for a wine of this structure and complexity. While it is primarily a sipping wine, its backbone and dark fruit intensity suit bold cocktail applications: a Cabernet Cobbler with muddled seasonal berries and a touch of simple syrup lets the fruit shine; a New York Sour topped with this wine as the red float adds dramatic depth; and a Sangria built around its blackcurrant and eucalyptus character pairs naturally with citrus and stone fruits.

Best For

• Cellaring for 10–15 years to track the evolution of structured Australian Cabernet
• Gifting a serious wine collector who values single-vineyard, minimal-intervention reds
• Pairing with a slow-cooked lamb shoulder dinner for a special weekend gathering
• Exploring the Fleurieu Peninsula as a distinct Cabernet Sauvignon region beyond Coonawarra and Margaret River

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Pride of the Fleurieu taste like? It delivers a powerful core of blackcurrant, blackberry, and plum, framed by firm, structured tannins and layered with eucalyptus, dried tobacco, cedar, and a chocolaty oak influence.

How does Pride of the Fleurieu compare to Wynns Coonawarra Black Label Cabernet? Both are benchmark South Australian Cabernets, but they diverge in terroir and winemaking philosophy — Wynns draws its cool-climate minerality and terra rossa earth tones from Coonawarra's famous red soils, while Dandelion's Pride of the Fleurieu leans into richer, more generously fruited territory from its alluvial Fleurieu site with a distinctly unfiltered, unfined texture. The Dandelion also tends toward greater tannin grip and a more savoury, eucalyptus-driven aromatic profile.

Is Pride of the Fleurieu good for sipping neat? Absolutely — its complex aromatics, layered palate, and long finish are best appreciated neat in a proper wine glass, ideally after 30 to 60 minutes in a decanter to let the firm tannins open up.

Where is Pride of the Fleurieu made? It is produced by Dandelion Vineyards from fruit grown on the Stranger's Reach Vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, a site overlooking the Finniss River wetlands and cooled by the Great Southern Ocean and Lake Alexandrina.

What foods pair well with Pride of the Fleurieu? Grilled lamb cutlets work beautifully as the wine's tannins cut through the richness of the meat. Slow-braised beef cheeks mirror the wine's density and dark fruit. Aged cheddar or Gruyère complement its structure and savoury undertones. Rosemary-roasted root vegetables echo the herbal aromatics. Dark chocolate in the 70–80% cacao range picks up on the wine's chocolaty oak notes.

What sizes does Pride of the Fleurieu come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle.

Is Pride of the Fleurieu worth the price? It positions as a premium, single-vineyard expression at the top of the Dandelion Vineyards range and is noted as the most ambitious Cabernet Sauvignon produced in the Fleurieu zone. The hand-picking, basket pressing, 18 months in French oak, and decision to bottle without fining or filtering place it among serious collector-grade Australian Cabernets, and the 94-point Halliday rating reinforces its standing.

Why Pride of the Fleurieu?

This wine's defining strength is its uncompromising production — hand-picked fruit, basket pressing, and a conscious decision to skip fining and filtration, allowing the Stranger's Reach Vineyard's character to arrive in the bottle undiluted. The 94-point rating from James Halliday and 92 points from Huon Hooke at The Real Review confirm that the approach translates into genuine quality, not just ideology. While Cabernet Sauvignon from the Fleurieu Peninsula remains underrepresented in conversation compared to Coonawarra or the Barossa, this bottling makes a compelling case for the region's potential with the variety. For anyone looking beyond the obvious Australian Cabernet regions, this is a serious, site-specific wine that rewards both immediate attention and long-term cellaring.