Dalwhinnie Shiraz

Some highly acclaimed wineries fall from grace. It is hard to understand exactly why and why it is not reversible. For example, in the 1980s, Virgin Hills was highly regarded for its Bordeaux blend. It went downhill from there. The wine became thin and green and could not stand up to the new wave of Australian Shirazes.

I have the feeling Dalwhinnie is joining this unfortunate group of wineries, although for entirely different reasons. The other day, I opened a bottle of the 2004 Dalwhinnie Shiraz, supposedly one of their great years in the last 10 years. This is a full bodied wine, more so than you would expect from Victoria. Flavours are of blackberry and mulberry, but most noticeable is the ripeness of the fruit, which was on the wrong side of being satisfying. This unpleasant mouthfeel was not helped by a fairly harsh finish. The Dalwhinnie Shiraz was famous for its silky tannins, but this wine had no subtleness to it whatsoever.

I previously reported on some younger wines, which were equally disappointing. I am afraid this winery has lost its way. Trying to be a big Barossa?

Score: 86/--