Leconfield Dandelion Best Wines Under $50

This is just the second release of Firehawk Farm which is produced from Dandelion’s finest vineyard. There is mammoth concentration of fruit here and perfect integration of fruit, oak and acid. Closed on opening, this morphs into an absolute stunner as is breathes and opens over several days. Sweet fruit, searing acid, savoury complexities, chocolate, graphite and blue fruits are all on show along with earthiness, cedar and plenty of tannin. This might just be the McLaren Vale’s best Shiraz. Learn More

A beautifully balanced and elegant Riesling replete with brooding limes, lemon sherbet and good length. Lovely now and will continue to develop well for years. Learn More

A wonderful Grenache with a little age. New school bright fruit and exceptionally deftly placed tannins meet high-quality, old-school oak. Ned Goodwin from the Halliday Wine Companion wrote a year ago ‘too much mocha-vanilla-infused oak enshrouding this, the fruit and structural latticework beyond it is sublime, auguring well for future change... Raspberry bon-bon, thyme, orange zest and lavender. The acidity, juicy and palpably natural. The grape tannins, lithe and etched with grace... I score this with the promise to which I hold it.’ A year later and this wine’s time has arrived, it is a ripper! Learn More

Powerful, inky black McLaren Vale fruit was basket pressed into a mix of older French and American oak where it spent 18 months. Saturated with ripe black fruits, cacao, cherries, milk and dark chocolate, and spice. Finished with a reassuring crown of cedar and fine tannins. Learn More

A tiny patch of 111 year old Eden Valley Vines produces this magical Riesling elixir. Explosive perfume and lime on the nose lead to a palate packed with intense fresh lime juice, brown lime and overall exceptional clarity and intensity of fruit. Learn More

Typically Cab Franc is relegated to a bit part in Cabernet blends, featuring alongside one or more of the other ‘Cab Family’ varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon holding the mic. in a Nirvana like blend while some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and/or Petit Verdot draw straws for the drums, bass, bagpipes and triangle. That said, when Cab Franc branches out on its own it can be quite magnificent. We noticed on our recent trip to the home of the Cab family, Bordeaux that global warming has seen use of Cab Sauv start to fall away, with Cab Franc on the rise as it is able to retain varietal integrity as the world warms. The Leconfield is exceptional single vineyard Cab Franc from vines planted in 1982. Ageing occurs in French oak (90%) most of which is old. The wine is racked often to soften the tannins. The net result is kinda like a perfumed and expressive, yet gentler version of a top end Cabernet Sauvignon. Learn More

An exceptional, fragrant and concentrated Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon which was aged in 50% new French oak for 18 months prior to bottling. Cassis and cinnamon on the nose leading to a palate rich with blackberries, plums, and violets. Finishes with super silky tannins. Lovely already and may live forever. Learn More

No made in every vintage and even then in tiny quantities. This blend sees early ripening Cab blended with Merlot and Cab Franc left to hand a little longer on the vine than normal. This enables the 3 varieties to be picked at the same time and co-fermented, resulting in the perfectly harmonious integration of flavours. Deep in colour; the nose is fresh, and bright, offering dark fruit aromas, cedar, cigar box and dark chocolate. It balances richness with elegance beautifully and finishes with perfectly modulated fine tannins. Learn More

A beautifully buttery and oaky Leconfield Chardonnay Chardy. Ripe tropical fruits, matchstick, stonefruits, creaminess and grilled nuts. Looking for a buttery Chard with a good hit of French oak, look no further! Learn More

The Leconfield Coonawarra Merlot is widely considered to be among the top handful produced in Australia. The 2020 vintage has an exceptional framework of acidity and fine tannin within which it is currently hoarding plenty of ripe plums, violet and tomato leaf. Allow the wine to breathe and they will be shared with you in abundance. Learn More

Another textural Rose from Leconfield with red fruits, florals, and melon. Winemaker Paul Gordon works 2 very different ferments here... one aromatic ferment... where juice was cold settled, racked with low solids and cold fermented using an aromatic yeast. The other portion was fermented with whole solids and natural yeast at a warmer temperature, then allowed to undergo malo-lactic fermentation to promote mouthfeel and length. The end result is stunning and complex. Learn More

Leconfield make consistently excellent Riesling from what are now 48 year old vines. This is a fine wine with talcum powder and citrus aromatics. The palate is textural, offering minerality and excellent length. A product of the 2021 vintage, this is both effortlessly elegant and powerful. Learn More