Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo 2025: Tasting Notes

WINE STYLE → Fresh, Savoury & Finely Structured

A vibrant, light to medium-bodied Barossa Tempranillo with strawberry, cherry and fig layered with rhubarb, garden herbs, cedar, tomato leaf and spice. Juicy red fruit flows through the palate, shaped by fine natural tannins and bright acidity. Fresh, focused and beautifully poised, it finishes dry, long and velvety.

Highlights

• Certified organic, certified biodynamic and vegan suitable
• Single-vineyard Tempranillo grown at Greenock in the Barossa Valley
• Strawberry, cherry, fig, rhubarb, garden herbs and cedar
• Light to medium-bodied with juicy red fruit and bright acidity
• Fine natural tannins with a firm, balanced structure
• Wild fermented in an open-top fermenter
• Matured for one year in seasoned French oak hogsheads
• Drinking beautifully now with eight years of cellaring potential

Tasting Notes

Vibrant purple-red in the glass, Dodger opens with bright strawberry, cherry and fig. Rhubarb, garden herbs, cedar, tomato leaf and spice add savoury complexity and give the aromatic profile a distinctly varietal character.

The palate sits between light and medium-bodied, with juicy red fruit running from the first sip through to the finish. Fine natural tannins provide a firm but balanced structure, while bright acidity gives the wine freshness, precision and easy drinkability. The finish is dry, focused, long and velvety.

Why We Love It

Dodger shows a fresher and more finely drawn side of Barossa red wine. It has plenty of flavour, but the fruit remains bright and juicy rather than heavy, with herbs, tomato leaf and cedar bringing savoury complexity.

The fine tannins and energetic acidity make it particularly good at the table. It has enough structure for grilled meats and rich tomato dishes, yet remains light enough for tapas, vegetable-based meals and warmer evenings.

Winemaking

The Tempranillo grapes were harvested on 21 March 2025 and destemmed into an open-top fermenter. The must was wild fermented for seven days on skins, with pump-overs performed twice daily to extract colour, flavour and tannin.

After pressing, the wine was transferred to seasoned French oak hogsheads, where it completed natural malolactic fermentation. Dodger matured in barrel for one year before bottling, allowing the tannins to soften while retaining its bright red fruit and savoury varietal character.

Vineyard & Vintage

Dodger is a single-vineyard Tempranillo grown on the Kalleske family property at Greenock in the north-western Barossa Valley. Tempranillo is the newest grape variety planted on the estate, with the low-yielding vines pruned by hand.

The vineyard is planted in sandy loam containing quartz and ironstone over deep red clay. These soils provide natural drainage at the surface and valuable moisture retention beneath, supporting healthy ripening through the warm Barossa growing season.

The 2025 vintage was warm and dry, with winter-to-summer rainfall reaching only two-thirds of the long-term average. Two significant September frosts reduced yields, while warmer spring and summer temperatures produced Kalleske’s earliest start and finish to harvest since estate winemaking began in 2002.

The low yields and steady ripening conditions produced Tempranillo with bright fruit, concentrated flavour, fine tannins and excellent natural freshness.

Food Pairing

The juicy red fruit, savoury herbs, bright acidity and fine tannins make Dodger a natural food wine. Pair it with tapas, grilled lamb, smoky vegetables, tomato-based dishes, paprika, mushrooms and firm cheeses.

Try matching this wine with →

• Spanish tortilla — Find a Recipe
• Spanish-style lamb — Find a Recipe
• Mushroom and red pepper paella — Find a Recipe

Mood or occasion to match this wine…

A lively, savoury red for tapas nights, relaxed dinners, shared plates and late-afternoon gatherings. Serve it when you want a red with freshness and structure without the weight of a full-bodied Shiraz.

Cellaring

Dodger is drinking beautifully now, with bright fruit and finely balanced tannins. It will continue to develop over the next eight years, gaining deeper earthy, leathery and dried-fruit complexity with time in bottle.

Producer

Kalleske is a seventh-generation family-owned winery based at Greenock in the Barossa Valley. The family has farmed the property since 1853, with brothers Troy and Tony Kalleske continuing the tradition of growing and making wine entirely from their own estate vineyards.

The vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic, with farming centred on soil health, biodiversity and long-term resilience. Synthetic herbicides and systemic chemical treatments are avoided, while composting, grazing animals and mechanical weed control support a healthy vineyard ecosystem.

Dodger takes its name from the mechanical vine weeder used on the Kalleske property since the early 1900s. The implement removes weeds from around each vine while carefully dodging the vine itself, allowing the family to control weeds without relying on synthetic herbicides.

Related Wines To Try →

If you enjoy fresh, savoury Tempranillo with bright fruit and food-friendly structure, these are excellent next bottles to explore:

• Certified biodynamic McLaren Vale Tempranillo with fragrant fruit and velvety texture — Paxton Tempranillo
• Juicy Spanish Tempranillo with red berries, rosemary and liquorice — Mesta Organic Tempranillo
• Same producer, bright Grenache with juicy red fruit and fine tannins — Kalleske Parallax Grenache

FAQ

What does Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo 2025 taste like?

It tastes of strawberry, cherry and fig, with rhubarb, garden herbs, cedar, tomato leaf and spice. The palate is fresh and juicy, with fine tannins, bright acidity and a long, velvety finish.

Is Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo dry or sweet?

It is a dry red wine. The ripe strawberry and cherry flavours give the wine fruitiness, while bright acidity and fine natural tannins create a fresh, savoury finish.

Is Dodger Tempranillo full-bodied?

No. It sits in the light to medium-bodied spectrum, making it fresher and more agile than many Barossa reds. It still has enough tannin and flavour to pair confidently with food.

Is Kalleske Dodger certified organic and biodynamic?

Yes. The Tempranillo is grown in Kalleske’s certified organic and certified biodynamic estate vineyard at Greenock in the Barossa Valley.

Is Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo vegan suitable?

Yes. Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo is vegan suitable and is made without animal-derived fining agents.

Is Dodger Tempranillo a single-vineyard wine?

Yes. It comes from a single Tempranillo block on the Kalleske family estate. The hand-pruned, low-yielding vines grow in sandy loam with quartz and ironstone over deep red clay.

How is Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo made?

The grapes are wild fermented for seven days in an open-top fermenter with twice-daily pump-overs. The wine then completes natural malolactic fermentation and matures for one year in seasoned French oak hogsheads.

Should Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo be decanted?

Decanting is not essential. Fifteen to thirty minutes in a glass or decanter will help the herbs, cedar, spice and red-fruit aromas open further.

How long can Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo 2025 be cellared?

It can be enjoyed immediately or cellared for up to eight years. Bottle age will soften the tannins and develop deeper leather, earth, spice and dried-fruit characters.

Who will love Kalleske Dodger Tempranillo?

This wine suits anyone who enjoys fresh, savoury reds with red fruit, herbs and fine tannins. It is an excellent choice for Tempranillo drinkers and anyone looking for a lighter alternative to full-bodied Barossa Shiraz.

(SKU: KA_TEM_CV)