Dalwhinnie is a site that just makes sense. The majesty of the views, the truly mesmerising nature of the steep amphitheatre, the ancient mineral & rock-laden soils; it just seems like a place that should make amazing wine…and yes, yes it does just this. For us to be able to continue this winemaking legacy at what I see as a peerless Victorian Shiraz site is a great honour and an even bigger thrill.
Dalwhinnie’s Eagle Shiraz was one of the first cult wines I ever bought. I splashed out on a bottle of the 1996 vintage, which had just got a million points score from Wine Spectator. So, it’s kind of bizarre that I’ve come full circle and am the one making wines from this truly remarkable place.
As of 2025, we now have six vintages under our belt as the custodians of this land and year-on-year I continue to be inspired by what this site offers us to put to bottle. 2021 was a vintage I truly loved and found particularly gratifying; and whilst the decision was (only just…) made to not release an Eagle Shiraz from 2021, The Pinnacle is, as you’ll see when you read on, is a true “Tour de Force” and it is immensely exciting to share these new releases with our friends – Julian Langworthy
SINGLE BLOCK WINE
2021 Dalwhinnie The Pinnacle Shiraz
The 2021 The Pinnacle Shiraz leads with Earl Grey tea and blood orange, raspberry pip, blackberry jam and tobacco, with graphite, mineral effusion/fan through the middle palate and layers of texture that encompass pockets of flavor. This is a super wine. It has wet earth, petrichor, ductile tannin and everything good and earth-derived. 100% destemmed. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. 97 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate Feb 2024
From the prized ’21 vintage and sourced from the highest, steepest vineyard on the estate, this wine has impressive purity, fragrance, intensity and length. There’s a mix of red and dark berry fruit accented by fresh bay leaves and faint smoky oak. The structure is classical in nature, giving the wine a stylish flow. Made from hand-picked, destemmed fruit and matured in French oak puncheons (20% new) for 15 months. 97 points. Toni Paterson, Wine Companion Aug 2024
OTHER NEW RELEASES
2022 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Chardonnay
A rounded, textured, layered chardonnay that has excellent integration of the fruit and winemaking elements. Alluring flecks of Geraldton wax and crème caramel decorate the concentrated core of green apples, ripe lemon and quince. Mineral acidity defines and focuses the palate. The wine has seamless flow and impressive back-palate persistence. The more air it has, the better it gets. A benchmark style for the region. 96 points. Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion Aug 2024
The powerful and balanced nose gives refined notes of lemon curd, flint, kaffir limes and nectarines. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with energetic acidity, showing fresh pineapple, red apples, grapefruit and sweet baking spices. A true chardonnay-lover’s chardonnay. Excellent. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 96 points. JamesSuckling.com Sep 2024
2021 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet Sauvignon
Sourced from the original contour and front-gate vineyards on Dalwhinnie estate. Open-top fermentation, then pressed to French oak barriques for a 20-month maturation. The palate is outstanding, with plentiful dark, concentrated fruit that is focused and defined, held in a structural tannin frame and accented with dried marjoram. Expert viticulture has achieved ripeness, depth and impressive varietal character, and skillful, respectful winemaking allows the estate’s signature cassis fruit to shine. Cellar-worthy. 97 points. Toni Paterson, Halliday Wine Companion Aug 2024
2023 Dalwhinnie ‘LDR’ Shiraz
The wine is a vibrant purple with hints of raspberry. There’s warm spices with cinnamon and star anise coming to the fore. The palate is fresh and modern, powder fine with the most elegant tannin structure. Succulent red cherries and raspberry flavors are tied together with an almost ethereal minerality and fresh acidity coursing through the wine. Drink now and enjoy over the next two to three years. Julian Langworthy
2021 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz
The 2021 season here in Moonambel was cooler than 2020, and this is evident both in the aromatics (finer, more graphite, more nuance) and on the palate, which is lighter in weight, more mineral, more finessed. I must confess that this 2021 Moonambel Shiraz is ultimately more my personal style preference with Syrah; however, both wines are side by side in quality and expression. A beautiful wine of place, this will no doubt blossom and evolve prior to its release in the middle of next year. These are special wines. It was bottled with roughly 13% alcohol (as written on the hand-labeled sample bottle) and sealed under screw cap. 96+ points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate Feb 2024
The fine tailoring of this wine is evident from the first glance, with no thread out of place. Immensely fragrant mulberry aromas are enhanced by subtle smoky oak. Piercing red fruits, spun sugar and cherry pie flavours present harmoniously, slipping through the palate with a satin-like flow. Medium bodied, detailed and immensely enjoyable, now or in the future. 96 points. Toni Paterson, Wine Companion Aug 2024
2017 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz Museum Release
The 2017 Moonambel Shiraz is eminently balanced and refined on the nose, with blood, minerals and flowers in equal measure. This is super composed, balanced and, as far as wine drinking pleasure goes, a triumph. There are notes of cardamom pod, sandalwood, scraped vanilla pod, pomegranate molasses, crushed rocks and kicked earth, and the layers of flavor are defined by very fine, ductile, tannic texture and support. Super. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. 96 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate Feb 2024
