The Auswine Forum

2004 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz - Victoria

When I tried this blind I thought my good friend Adair was serving me the 2004 Nitschke Block Shiraz from Schwarz Wine Company or another Godolphin-like, new Barossa release from Ben Glaetzer. I have been following Dalwhinnie since the sensational 1997 vintage but I have never tasted anything like this from this producer before. New release. Alc 13.8% vol, cost AU $50+



Colour very dark red with black centre. Hugely fragrant nose of brandied plums. Very aromatic with blackberry and cherries. More enticing sweet cherry spicy on the nose. Tremendously concentrated and sweet palate follows with blood plums, blackberries and cherry. Seductively velvety and decadent. It will blow away the first time taster. Extremely rich and full bodied and well balanced with fine grainy oak on the finish. A lush and sweetly velvety wine with melting tannins but fine acid. Amazingly concentrated, almost creamy. Super ripe. Parker will adore this. Drink now to 8 years. Wow, what seduction! - 97 pts.

I must also note that this Shiraz is very out of style. The 2003 is a completely different long haul and classic wine, my notes read in February 2005:
2003 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz - Victoria
What a great return to the powerful style of the 1997 vintage! This wine will be released in May, make a note now and buy it for the future without doubt. ItÂ’s one of the great DalwhinnieÂ’s. Cost AU $45+, alcohol is at 13.5%vol. The wine received 60% American and 40% French oak maturation.

Colour much darker red than the 2002 with a black centre. Cherry and clove aromas mixing with sweet plums on the nose. Aromatic, spicy wine. The palate is concentrated with dark berries and chocolate, itÂ’s powerful and focused with superb tannin structure and length. A fragrant, full bodied Shiraz with a great future. Excellent grainy oak on the finish. A tight and masculine wine that needs at least 3 years cellaring and will last for 10 more years easily. Loved it.

I don’t know what the others will think of this 2004 style that is so rich and Barossa like. The wine to me also tastes “worked” by the winemaker. I must also tell you that when re-tasted the same bottle some 30 hours later, it was going downhill. Regardless of my later observations, everyone should try this soon before the press hype sells it out quickly. It will be a winner.

Cheers,
Attila

Tasted: March 2006

I have the 99 in my cellar. Would it be ready to drink yet? Thanks - Rick

Thanks Attilla, now I'm going to have to try one of the 6 in my cellar already. I buy these because they are different to the rich Barossa reds and now you are telling us the 2004 tastes like a new-wave Barossa red!

And I hope you are wrong about Parker (but fear you are correct), this one I can only just afford now, I don't want Parker-sheep chasing it too.

It was interesting to note Jeremy Oliver's report from California noting that "It’s crisis time in California for premium (and I use this word in a meaningful way) Australian wine. The number of top-level Australian wineries available here is actually shrinking,..." with further explanation on his subscription site.

I have noticed some previously almost exclusively export wines such as Marquis Phillips are being offered more widely locally...

rwatkins wrote:I have the 99 in my cellar. Would it be ready to drink yet? Thanks - Rick

Probably not ready yet, but getting close to it's drinking window for my palate, if you have a few try one and see how it's going for your palate.

It was fairly lean and tight about 3 years ago when I last tried one, took a long time to open up, but had blossomed a bit on the next night, might be time I tried another one too.

Brian, I'd be very interested in your views when you try the 2004.

Cheers,
Attila

Attila wrote:Brian, I'd be very interested in your views when you try the 2004.

Cheers,
Attila

Here it is...

Attila, I agree with a lot of your description of this wine, it's a very good wine, but the one I am drinking is not like a new wave Barossa shiraz. I've tried the Schwarz Nitschke Block Shiraz 2004 and the Dalwhinnie is a far better structured wine, with less of the intense blackberry spectrum and spicy fruit of the Schwarz.

Agree on the colour, I think it's the densest red/black Dalwhinnie Shiraz I've seen.
The nose is redolent with complex aromas of dark plums, dark cherries, mint and licorice backed up by nicely judged dusty oak.
The palate is quite rich and almost creamy but for the abundant fine/firm , tannins and unobtrusive oak. It has brilliant bright fruit, ripe but no hints of over-ripeness, blood plums, black currants, herbal overtones give a slightly bitter (but attractive) note to the palate, seamless with a fine clean acid finish.

The Barossa winemakers might kill for this sort of structure in a shiraz, but most of them would be happy to get the silky, marshmallowy mouthfeel (that some find "oily") of a nice ripe Barossa shiraz as well. This isn't that sort of wine and I don't agree that it's out of style or like a Barossa Shiraz, it's more like the lovely 92 Dalwhinnie Shiraz and I suspect it will age just as well.

PS You know it's a tough market when two premium reds from a top vintage come out in fancy new heavy glass bottles (I nearly had a hernia when I picked up the case) and no increase in price.

Reluctant as I am to agree with Brian on anything I agree completely with him on the "non-Barossa" style of the shiraz.

I tasted the 2004 shiraz twice (actually "tasting" is a slight misnomer as on each occasion I ended up drinking close to half a bottle although it was a formal tasting) and on both occasions loved it (and anted up to purchase).

Both the structure, pepper and relative lack of chocolate style dney suggestions of Barossa to my palate.

OTOH the 2004 CS, which I rate as the best Dalwhinnie CS I have tasted (based on first tasting) showed appallingly badly on 2nd tasting (when it had come direct from the airport!! as had the shiraz) but still as an OK wine. I would not have purchased the CS based solely on the second tasting. I rarely buy the Dalwhinnie CS, preferring their shiraz, but for 2004 vintage the CS (on first tasting) is a worthy addition.

For my palate and 15 odd years of consuming Dalwhinnie shiraz they tend to be at their best some time after a decade from release date (ie they need a solid decade, and the 1995 & 1996 are in the window now - albeit will hold for a considerable time). All the indications are that the 2004 will improve for at least the next 8 years - and quite possibly longer. I don't see it falling over - or much off its plateau -prior to 2020 (assuming good cellaring).

The 2004 is an outstanding shiraz now - but will gain complexity and finesse with age.

I am an unabashed fan of modern victorian shiraz: Seppelts Great Western/St Peters, Craiglee, Dalwhinnie, Balgownie (pre 1983 and since 1994) - and to a lesser extent Mt Langi, the occasional Delatite at its pricepoint, Knights and a few others I am sure I have forgotten.

That does not mean they will all be great - or even very good in every vintage (particularly say Craiglee), but the styles show more finesse and classic savouriness than the Barossa/McLaren generally.

I like some big Barossa/McLaren styles too, but not a continual diet of them - or the frutbombs beloved by some, at all.