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2025 Dodger Tempranillo

$30.00

Since the early 1900s, the ‘dodger’ has been indispensable in the vineyard. The vine dodger is a mechanical weeder that removes weeds from around the vines whilst dodging the vines themselves. In the early years the dodger was pulled by a horse and steered by hand and then in the 1960s the horse was replaced by a tractor. Fundamentally the dodger hasn’t changed much and today it is still used to naturally control the weeds in our vineyards.

Dodger Tempranillo is a single vineyard wine that’s been grown, vintaged and matured on our Kalleske property. Vigilant grape growing, traditional winemaking and maturation in seasoned French oak hogsheads has resulted in a sophisticated, medium bodied Tempranillo displaying classic structure and varietal expression typical of our Kalleske vineyard.

240 in stock

Colour:
2025 Dodger Tempranillo is a vibrant purple-red in colour.

Aroma:
Aromatically it is bright and lifted, showing strawberry, cherry and fig, layered with nuances of rhubarb, garden herbs, cedar, tomato leaf and spice.

Palate:
The palate sits in the light to medium-bodied spectrum, driven by juicy red fruits throughout. Fine, natural tannins provide a firm yet balanced structure, giving a refreshing dry edge, while bright acidity enhances freshness and drinkability. True to varietal form, this is a focused, finely poised wine with impressive finesse. It finishes long and velvety.

Recommended Drinking:
Drinking superbly now, it will also cellar gracefully over the next eight years.

The grapes were picked on March 21st, 2025 and then destemmed into an open top fermenter. The must was wild-fermented for 7 days on skins with twice daily pump-overs.  After pressing off skins the Tempranillo was filled to seasoned French oak hogsheads where it underwent natural malolactic fermentation in barrel. Dodger matured in barrel for a year prior to bottling.

The 2025 vintage has delivered wines of exceptional quality, destined to rank among the finest.  This warm and dry year was punctuated by significant growing season frosts, with rainfall from Winter through Summer reaching only two-thirds of the average. Two major frosts in September set the tone for a challenging yet rewarding season. Spring temperatures were 1 degree above average, while Summer was 2 degrees higher. The combination of warmth, dry conditions, and lower yields resulted in the earliest start and finish to vintage since our winemaking journey began in 2002. These steady ripening conditions ensured the vines remained healthy, producing grapes of outstanding quality and the resultant 2025 wines stand firmly in the upper echelon

The single-vineyard Dodger Tempranillo block is the newest variety on the Kalleske property. The hand-pruned vines are low-yielding and are grown in sandy loam soil with quartz and ironstone over deep red clay.

Young Gun of Wine Deep Dive: Australia’s Best Tempranillo
May 2026

Froude and Jones chose this wine for their top six wines on the day. Froude described “super-lifted, yet complex and brooding, showing dark cherry and some jujube notes, alongside nutmeg and delicate sandalwood spice. Delicate on the palate, with super-fine tannins, showing rhubarb characters. Wonderful length and weight, and a sweet- fruited finish.” Jones noted “the joyful one. Fresh, lighter-framed and completely comfortable being delicious. Cherry, pomegranate and sugar plum lead the way, lifted by a faint herbal edge that keeps the fruit lively rather than simple. Leather, cocoa powder and chocolate add just enough grown-up detail. The palate is bright and juicy, with red fruit, fine tannins and a gentle acid line. Nothing feels extracted or forced. The finish isn’t especially long, but honestly, no great tragedy. This wine wins on freshness, ease and sheer usefulness. Serve slightly chilled, outside, with peri-peri chicken or simply a box of BBQ Shapes by the campfire. Tempranillo for the all-season drinker.”

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