NV Dandelion Legacy of Australia Pedro Ximenez NV 375ml

95 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Full tawny colour with amber rim, and a complex bouquet of walnut, burnished wood panelling and polished furniture. The wine is intense and focused in the mouth with elegance and refinement, understated and not overly rich. Very long and resonant, with lovely balance and drinkability. A classy fortified wine.

94 POINTS

Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

This wine bears little resemblance to those motor-oil-dark, super concentrated, cloying wines from southern Spain. The grape variety is the same, but the NV Legacy of Australia Pedro Ximénez xxxo is only medium amber in hue and is remarkably drinkable and complex. Think pecans or walnuts in a light caramel-honey sauce, not too sweet or unctuous, with great acidity that enlivens and prolongs the finish. It's blended to be a 30-year-old in style (hence, xxxo). It's versatile enough to be served as an aperitif or with dessert, but I'd suggest having it on its own at the end of a meal or with the cheese course. I'm consistently impressed by the quality of many Australian fortifieds, and this one is a standout.

94 POINTS

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast

This amber-hued fortified, made from the Sherry variety Pedro Ximenez, offers intensely concentrated aromas of molasses cookies, library books, dried dates, orange peel and almond oil. The unctuous palate is rich and sweet but lifted by heady alcohol and acidity. Baked brown sugar and raisin flavors linger on the long finish. An indulgent armchair tipple on its own or with a dried-fruit dominant wintertime dessert.

93 POINTS

Stephen Creber - Halliday Wine Companion

The scion of a blend first fortified in '44 by the Lindner family. Aromas of raisin, dried fig and almond biscuit with distinctive rancio character. Fully sweet on the palate but rich rather than liqueur-like, with a soft, slightly drying finish. Advice from the winery is that it could be served chilled as an aperitif style which might be worth trying. 375ml.

93 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Pale amber colored, the NV Legacy of the Barossa 30 Year Old Pedro Ximinez has a nutty, almond and hazelnut nose over a core of caramel, dried apricots, figs, sultanas and spice cake. Very sweet, full bodied and unctuous in the mouth, it has a good line of crisp acidity cutting through the richness and a very long finish. Drink this one now.

93 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Dark amber, with an orange centre and yellow meniscus - sweet Sherry colour. Very clean, precise nutty and toasty aromas of barrel-aged sweet fortified. Very complex and rather amontillado-like, but without definite flor character. Oak is fairly important in the bouquet. Intense, concentrated and piercing flavour, with moderate level of sweetness and a hot finish that reverberates long. Alcohol is somewhat fiery. Powerful wine. Would suit French onion soup in winter.

92 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Medium-light tawny-amber with a yellow rim; oak and old leather to sniff, with some eccentric lamb-fat nuances, plus walnut and old leather. A hint of staleness. Lots of evidence of oak and wood-ageing here. The finish is firm and there's some tannin that helps dry off the sweetness. The result is that it's not overpoweringly sweet.

91 POINTS

Josh Raynolds - Vinous

Amber-orange. Toffee, candied orange and cherry pit on the nose, with a hint of smoke and slow-building spiciness. Juicy, palate-staining red fruit and molasses flavors show surprising energy and a touch of gingerbread. Very sweet but also focused, with strong grip and spice notes on the long, clinging finish. This would be superb with nut-based desserts or decadent, triple-cream cheeses such as Explorateur, Pierre Robert or Brillat-Savarin.