![Logo The Wine Collective [Not Live]](http://twc-pre-launch.myshopify.com/cdn/shop/files/TWC_logo_lockup_horizontal_colour_white.svg?956){kind=logo}
2012 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz
2012 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz
33% OFF
$49.99 (buy 12 or more)
$54.99 per single bottle
Love it or your money back*
On orders
over $300*
Stock Location: Winery
Love it or your money back*
On orders Over $300*
Stock Location: Winery
Expert Reviews
The deep purple-crimson colour semaphores serious intent, thoroughly intimidating when you realise this is the fourth tier of Dalwhinnie's shiraz releases; the intimidation continues with a black fruits, tar and licorice bouquet of what is an unashamedly full-bodied shiraz needing to be left alone until '20.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2012 Shiraz Moonambel offers a gorgeous perfume of violets, aniseed and dark chocolate over a core of cassis, ripe blackberries and cedar plus a hint of spice box. Medium-bodied, fine, elegant and tightly wound on the palate, the youthful black berry and spice flavors have a great backbone of firm, ripe tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing long if still very primary. It should reward cellaring.
Charmingly elegant and balanced, this fine, leaner expression of this classic shiraz has a musky, spicy and peppery bouquet of cassis, blackberries and redcurrants tightly knit with overt but fine-grained and slightly meaty mocha/chocolatey oak. Medium to full-bodied, it’s fine and focused, with a sour-edged depth of intense dark fruit underpinned by firmish, fine tannins before a long, savoury and mineral finish.'
Deep, dense, dark purple/red colour. The bouquet is concentrated essence of blackberry and smoky oak, slightly plain but pleasant, and perhaps just a little undeveloped. Then the tannins ride in on the palate and swamp everything. It was unbalanced and barely palatable at first taste, being too grippy. But it grew on me with exposure. It's a wine that cries out for protein-rich food to mop up those tannins. Come back in a decade and it will be very good indeed'
Tight, crunchy fruit profile. Tarry palate - dense yet with freshness aplenty. Chocolate finish. Worth giving some cellar time here - only just seems to be opening up now.' 17+/20 Points
Tech stuff
Light
Full
How was it made?
Dalwhinnie vineyard is situated in a unique amphitheatre that has its own meso climate. The site is totally frost free and allows the fruit to reach complete physiological ripeness in 9 out of 10 years. The climate is temperate with a mean average January temperature of 21°C. Harvest, which is carried out by hand, usually starts the third week in March and is completed around the first week in May.
The annual rainfall is 550mm with most rain falling in July through to November. Grapes were picked at optimum ripeness ie. 13.0 – 14.0 Baume over two passes. The grapes were crushed, de-stemmed. Inoculated and fermented in small open fermenters. Temperature is controlled at around 26 degrees C. After a 7 day ferment there is a further 2 weeks of skin contact post alcoholic fermentation. The wine is then pressed out in a large pneumatic press then pumped into French oak barriques for 17 - 18 months oak maturation. 100% French barrels, one third new oak, two thirds 2-3 year old oak.
Who made it?
Dalwhinnie is located near the small village of Moonambel in the heart of the Pyrenees region of Western Victoria, Australia and is a super premium producer of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. After 40 years of growing grapes, the 16 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.
Not quite what you’re looking for?
Sarah Linhart
Wine Buyer
As a wine buyer, the first question people ask me is, ‘What’s your to favourite wine?’ Not a difficult question, right? Well, it’s not always that simple, as it depends on so many different factors such as; the occasion, the weather, or the food I’m eating. So, if you’re having trouble finding the right wine today, never fear, it happens to all of us! And to help make things easier, I have selected some of my personal favourites.
