Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz 2002

"The Dalwhinnie Shiraz vineyard is one of Australia's great wine treasures."  Campbell Mattinson 

Dalwhinnie, located near the small village of Moonambel in the heart of the Pyrenees region of western Victoria, is one of Victoria's oldest family-run vineyards. Dalwhinnie has been growing grapes for nearly 50 years and the 16-hectare vineyard is now fully mature. At 595 metres above sea level, Dalwhinnie is the highest and most remote of the Pyrenees district vineyards. The vineyard is located in a naturally undulating trough which falls away from the hills, forming an amphitheatre nestled into the ranges.  

"It is a travesty that this wine is not actively sold and lovingly treasured in the UK. Every element of this bottle is astounding - super-smooth, velvety plum, cherry and blackcurrant, dark chocolate, tar and briar flavours, dusted with sooty tannins and topped with a never-ending finish. What is amazing is that this concentration and texture has all come at only 13% alcohol." Decanter Magazine  

"Deep red-purple, bright and concentrated. Intense bouquet with very fresh lifted prune and blueberry fruit intermingled with savoury vanilla and cocoa aromas. On the palate there is an explosion of flavours of immensely concentrated dark berry fruits, a rich savoury mid-palate and a sweet long fine tannin finish. I am thrilled with this Shiraz. It has the most amazing balance and purity of fruit. The wine is fine, elegant and complex. In fact I would go so far as to say it is the best Shiraz Dalwhinnie has produced to date. Enjoy soon or cellar for 8-10 years. Don't miss it."  David Jones, Winemaker

Expert reviews

"It is a travesty that this wine is not actively sold and lovingly treasured in the UK. Every element of this bottle is astounding - super-smooth, velvety plum, cherry and blackcurrant, dark chocolate, tar and briar flavours, dusted with sooty tannins and topped with a never-ending finish. What is amazing is that this concentration and texture has all come at only 13% alcohol. Drink 2006-15."  Decanter Magazine  ★★★★★

"This was my shiraz of the year last year, and it's in fine form six months later. Some reductive, spicy, peppery notes lead into a herbaceous palate of nougat, fine tannins and a long finish. It's purring along very nicely. Best drinking around: 2005-2012."  Tyson Stelzer, Top 500 Wines 2005/2006 – 94 points 

"A complex web of blackberry, leather, mocha and game; excellent tannin structure on the finish. Drink Now-2015."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion – 93 points

"Beautifully balanced with elegance and charm written all over it – Dalwhinnie seems headed further and further down the elegance route – though whether it's entirely ripe is questionable. Black pepper, blackberries, cherries and prunes – it's like there's a mixture of ripe and unripe fruit here, with the tannins prompting more of the same questions. For all that though there is lovely fruit complexity here, and certainly a great deal of style, with length beyond the ordinary. Drink: Now-2015."  Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Monthly - 91 points

"Rather a savoury, herbal Rhôney shiraz with a musky, meaty and peppery aroma of small black and red berries and dried herbs. There's plenty of softness and round, generous earthy dark berry flavour, while it finishes nutty, spicy and savoury, with just a hint of herby sappiness. It's a polished wine, but a closer look does suggest it struggled for ripeness."  Jeremy Oliver - 90 points

Awards

Tyson Stelzer Top 500 Wines of 2005-2006

About the winery

Dalwhinnie, located near the small village of Moonambel in the heart of the Pyrenees region of western Victoria, is one of Victoria's oldest family-run vineyards. Dalwhinnie has been growing grapes for nearly 50 years and the 16-hectare vineyard is now fully mature.

Ballarat architect Ewan Jones purchased the site in 1973 and named it after the Highlands town of his Scottish ancestors. He established the vineyard in 1976 and his eldest son, David, took over its management seven years later. David subsequently purchased the property in 1994 and operated Dalwhinnie until January 2020, when it was acquired by Fogarty Wine Group.

At 595 metres above sea level, Dalwhinnie is the highest and most remote of the Pyrenees district vineyards. The vineyard is located in a naturally undulating trough which falls away from the hills, forming an amphitheatre nestled into the ranges. According to David Jones, the hills and the sedimentary soils of the Pyrenees are vital factors in the vineyard's uniqueness.

The main grape varieties grown are Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. These small individual vineyards average around 1.8 hectares in size and because of the hungry sedimentary soils, cropping levels are low - only 1.5 tonnes per 0.8 of a hectare.

The site is totally frost-free which enables the grapes to reach optimum ripeness. The vineyard is non-irrigated and operated on strong organic viticultural principles. The fruit is hand-picked and the vines are cane-pruned by hand. Harvest usually starts the third week in February and is completed around the first week in April. Cover crops are sown every year between the vineyard rows to add nitrogen to the soil. The average annual rainfall is 550mm with most rain falling between July and November.

"In Dalwhinnie, the Joneses have happened upon that rare but blessed confluence of factors: site, soil, climate, cultivars, viticultural practices and sensitive winemaking. Sit back and watch, as Dalwhinnie etches a name for itself, not only among the great wines of Australia, but the world."  Huon Hooke