Some sites hold you in their thrall, plain and simple. You stumble into them as if enchanted, and if the wines measure up – if the quality is flawless and the wines express the magic that you’ve seen, heard, felt among the vines – there’s no turning back.
Dalwhinnie, the eight-hectare site perched high in Victoria’s Pyrenees wine-growing region, is such a site. Julian Langworthy fell under its spell from the moment he first set eyes on it. “It was just, you know, nestled in the mountains in this beautiful amphitheatre bowl and this lovely, architecturally designed winery up on the hill. And I was like, ‘F***ing hell,’” he told the Vininspo! podcast.
Dalwhinnie’s class has been noted for decades, but it has taken the love and attention of Langworthy and his team to raise it beyond its former glory. “They’re the most beautiful wines, and it’s been a lovely journey of discovery, helping to celebrate and lift those wines back up to where they should be,” says Jules. “The current releases of Dalwhinnie are wonderful. I feel hugely honoured to be able to make wines from a site like Dalwhinnie with such amazing history, and such a great cool verve.”
Word is getting out about the vineyard’s beautiful renaissance, but to taste and share these wines is truly to believe. Campbell Mattinson calls the Chardonnay “a benchmark for the region”. His Wine Advocate counterpart, Erin Larkin, declares: “These are special wines,” and spills forth superlatives such as beautiful, super and outstanding to describe them.
“So, Dal is one of the great ones; one of the great unique Australian sites, and I’m lucky to be part of it at the moment,” says Jules.
We urge you to be part of it, too.
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
2022 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Chardonnay Pyrenees, Victoria RRP $70
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
2024 Dalwhinnie ‘LDR’ Shiraz Pyrenees, Victoria RRP $49
Julian Langworthy quips that it’s more mid-weight than light but MDR didn’t have quite the same ring to it. Still, this dry red extends well beyond its modest moniker. It’s brightly attractive and alluring to sniff: violets, blueberries, raspberry coulis, red cherries, while the mineral and savoury nuances slip in with cracked pepper, black olive and crushed chalk. The medium-bodied palate is silky and succulently fruited, with sand-textured, spicy tannins and raspberry pip acidity. Lovely Shiraz—an effortless drink. Ed Merrison, CellarHand
2021 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz Pyrenees, Victoria RRP $75
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. 96+ points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
2017 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz Museum Release Pyrenees, Victoria RRP $96
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. 96 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
2021 Dalwhinnie ‘The Pinnacle’ Shiraz Pyrenees, Victoria RRP $102
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. 97 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
2020 Dalwhinnie The Eagle Shiraz Pyrenees, Victoria RRP $185
Spicy and pert, this 2020 The Eagle Shiraz incorporates a small component of whole bunch (about 15%), and this elevates the spice component untold. It is a great inclusion, along with the subtle lacing of orange peel, white pepper, blood orange, cinnamon, and blueberry. It’s eminently classy, refined and electric, in its way. The wine speaks eloquently of its place in the Victorian hills, but it also expounds fragrance, finesse and energy. It’s a super wine. You can drink this now, but it borders on frisky. I love it as is, but the wine will only gain in stature, complexity and nuance as it ages. Five years from release might be a good rule of thumb, but you go your own way. A good wine is good at every age. 97 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate 2024
2021 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet Sauvignon Pyrenees, Victoria RRP $75
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
