The wines of Dalwhinnie, Pyrenees, Victoria, Australia

The wines of Dalwhinnie, Pyrenees, Victoria
Cool climate wines from Australia

Website: www.dalwhinnie.com.au

Probably the pick of the wineries in Victoria’s Pyrenees region, Dalwhinnie has 18 hectares of mature vineyards at an altitude of almost 600 metres. Family owned since its inception in 1976, Dalwhinnie makes excellent, intense Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a production just shy of 5000 cases annually. All the wines benefit from some bottle age and are potentially long lived. A new 8 hectare vineyard, Forest Hut, were planted in 1999, and provides more Shiraz, some Viognier and a bit of Sangiovese for blending options. They’re very nice wines with a cool climate influence.

Dalwhinnie Moonambel Chardonnay 2004 Pyrenees
Very nutty and rich with bold toasty fruit. Bold, rich, thick palate is intense with bold fruit and some considerable oak influence. 88/100 (11/07)

Dalwhinnie Moonambel Pinot Noir 2005 Pyrenees
Very forward, intense aromatic sweet cherry fruit nose with a lifted, sappy edge. The palate shows fresh, dense sweet cherry and berry fruit with a spicy, sappy finish. Really nice with attractive herbiness. 91/100 (11/07)

Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Pyrenees
Vivid, fresh, blackcurranty nose is nicely poised with a hint of herbiness. Lovely palate showing bright blackcurrant fruit with some leafiness. A nice expressive wine. 91/100 (11/07)

Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz 2003 Pyrenees
Warm, spicy, savoury nose with sweet fruit. Dense palate is fresh and spicy with nice sweet fruit and some spicy tarry oak. A fresh, bright style. 90/100

Dalwhinnie Eagle Series Shiraz 2001 Pyrenees
Lush, pure, sweet blackberry jam nose with great purity and sweetness. There’s lovely freshness on the palate with a delicious spicy, peppery quality. Sweet, pure and really expressive. Lovely. 94/100 (06/09)

Dalwhinnie Eagle Series Shiraz 2004 Pyrenees
Fresh intense blackberry fruit nose. The palate is dense, pure, fresh and well defined with blackberry, blackcurrant and plum fruit, as well as some peppery notes. Lovely purity. 92/100 (06/09)