Wineries
Dalwhinnie
Region
Pyrenees, Victora, Australia
Winemaker
David Jones
Established
1972
In Dalwhinnie, the Jones 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- Wine Writer, Sydney Morning Herald
Dalwhinnie is located near the tiny village of Moonambel in the heart of the Pyrenees region of Western Victoria, Australia and is a super premium producer of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. After 25 years of growing grapes, the 18 hectare vineyard is now fully mature, producing true varietal fruit characters with great concentration of flavours.
At 595 metres above sea-level Dalwhinnie is the highest and most remote of the Pyrenees district vineyards. Surrounded and sheltered by the highest range, this unique bowl of vines is a world unto itself, located in a naturally undulating trough which falls away from the hills, forming an amphitheatre nestled into the ranges.
Ownership of Dalwhinnie has remained within one family. In 1972 the remote property was purchased. The founder, Ballarat architect Ewan Jones, established the vineyard in 1976. His eldest son David, has managed it since 1983 and, with his wife, Jenny, has owned it since 1994. It's the kind of stability that one finds in the greatest estates all around the world.
David Jones firmly believes that the best grapes come from a healthy well pruned vine which has the proper balance of fruit to foliage to ripen the bunches quickly and efficiently. The bunches must be disease free, compact in composition and have good exposure to sunlight. He believes ultimately that great wines are produced from these grapes grown on unique elevated single vineyard sites and Dalwhinnie is fortunate to possess several of these sites.
Shiraz is what Dalwhinnie is chiefly associated with, making some of Australia’s most individual and expressive interpretations of the variety. The flagship wine is the Eagle Series Shiraz, only made in exceptional years, from a single vineyard planted in 1978. There are two more single vineyard wines, one of which( South West Rocks Shiraz) has just been released to the market, with an unnamed third wine due for release in 2008.
Other key wines in the portfolio are the Moonambel Chardonnay ( which Robert Parker describes as the equivalent of a premier cru Chassagne Montrachet) and the Moonambel Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2004 vintage has produced perhaps the finest Dalwhinnie wines yet, showing magnificent purity of fruit on top of exceptional balance and length.
Dodd and Haskell Fine Wine Export exclusively represent Dalwhinnie Wines in Russia and distribute the wines through Russia’s leading leading fine wine retailer, DP- Trade.
Differing greatly to the general expectation of what Australian Shiraz should be, the stated winemaking goals at Dalwhinnie are to are achieve full ripeness whilst maintaining low alcohols. They are designed to be consumed in the company of food, and to compliment it, rather than overpower.