Critical Acclaim
The Heart of the Pyrenees, Victoria
Regarded as one of the most iconic wine producers in Victoria, Dalwhinnie produces some of the most highly regarded wines in Australia. The first vines were planted in 1976 and the estate is now home to a fully mature, dry-grown, 16-hectare vineyard.
The estate is located near the small village of Moonambel in the heart of the Pyrenees region of western Victoria. At 595 metres above sea level, Dalwhinnie is the highest and most remote of the Pyrenees region's vineyards. Surrounded and sheltered by the highest mountain range, this unique bowl of vines is located in a naturally undulating trough which falls away from the hills, forming an amphitheatre nestled into the ranges.
Dalwhinnie is a world-renowned producer of some of Australia’s most coveted Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, including two Langton’s Classified wines.
The Location
Our 16-hectare vineyard is situated on the 37th parallel, near the small village of Moonambel in the heart of the Pyrenees region of western Victoria. At 595 metres above sea level, our site is the highest and most remote vineyard in the Pyrenees. Sheltered by the highest mountain range, this unique bowl of vines is located in a naturally undulating trough which falls away from the hills, forming an amphitheatre nestled into the ranges.
The Terroir
The poor and fragile soils from left-over alluvial mining areas in the 1850s are some of the hardest and hungriest you will ever see. However, the climate and soils are well suited to the production of complex Shiraz and this is why we specialise in this great variety. The average annual rainfall is 550mm with most rain falling between July and November. The site is totally frost-free which enables the grapes to reach optimum ripeness.
The Vineyard
The vineyard is non-irrigated and operated on strong organic viticultural principles with the fruit handpicked, and the vines cane-pruned by hand. The small individual vineyards average around 1.8 hectares in size and because of the hungry sedimentary soils the cropping levels are low; only 1.5 hectares per tonne. Cover crops are sown every year between the vineyard rows to add nitrogen to the soil.
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our place
Our History
Our site was originally purchased by Ewan Jones, an architect, in 1973 and named after the Scottish Highlands town of his ancestors. Jones planted the vineyard after deep ripping (twice) the vine rows, removing trees and rock picking the site.
The first Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in 1976, with the first red vintages produced in 1980. 1984 saw the first vintage of our Moonambel Chardonnay produced. The first ever release of our icon wine The Eagle Shiraz was in 1986.
In 1983 Ewan's eldest son, David, took over the management of the vineyard, and later owned and operated Dalwhinnie from 1994 to January 2020.
Dalwhinnie has been a part of the Fogarty Wine Group portfolio since 2020 and keeps good company alongside Lake's Folly in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales; Lowestoft and Tasmanian Vintners in Tasmania; and Deep Woods Estate, Evans & Tate, Millbrook and Smithbrook in Western Australia.