2018 The Eagle Shiraz

colour

Deep purple with flashes of crimson.

aroma

Distinct aromas of baking spices, sandalwood and pepper unfold from the glass alongside dark berries and bramble.

palate

The palate exhibits super fine tannins which unfold layer after layer with dark fruits, cedar, red plum, forest floor, truffle and an exquisitely elegant, long finish. A wine for the ages.

cellaring

This wine will reward long cellaring of five to twenty years. 

vintage

The growing season was temperate and dry with beautiful pollination and fruit set – this meant an exquisite crop of pristine grapes. The Eagle Shiraz is only produced in the most exceptional of vintages in the ultra-premium, cool-climate Pyrenees region of Victoria. Careful viticulture meant fruit was picked at optimum ripeness.

winemaking

Sourced solely from the 1977 planted “Eagle Block" directly in front of the Dalwhinnie estate, fruit was handpicked and cold soaked before being fermented as a single batch with 20% whole bunches for ten days. The resulting wine was pressed and racked to 50% new French oak barriques and 50% one and two year old barrels for a period of 20 months. Post maturation, careful barrel selection was made to showcase this amazing single vineyard icon in its truest and best form.

region

Pyrenees

variety

Shiraz

analysis

• Alcohol: 13.5%
• pH: 3.78
• TA: 6.00 g/L 

Slow cooked lamb shoulder with a middle eastern herb rub and garlic roast pumpkin.

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021

Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate 2022

If the Moonambel Shiraz is black like the night sky dotted with stars, then the 2018 The Eagle Shiraz is like staring full into the belly of the sun. It evokes sounds too—an eagle calling as it soars through an ancient rocky canyon. Initially, this wine is full-throttle in flavor, with blackberry fruit in tangles on the palate, shaped by a cage of savory, spicy tannins and drawn out over a long lead in the finish. Once you give yourself fully to this wine, and I mean fully, its mineral rachis is revealed. It has a rocky austerity that is most appealing and works to rein in the fruit, which is kind of as possible as taming a wild animal. But the attempt is always made. A wine for the cellar.

96

jeni port, halliday wine companion 2022

Sourced from the original Eagle block below the winery. 25% whole bunches, 10 days on skins, pressed to new and 1yo French oak for mlf and 20 months' maturation. Best barrels selected. Dalwhinnie was bought by Fogarty Wine Group mid '20 and winemaker Julian Langworthy is noted as winemaker. The flagship red is a picture of elegance, with underlying strength and precision. Vibrant, dense plum red. Mediterranean spices, dates, blackberries and warm, toasty oak. Lush texture, with supple tannins make it imminently drinkable, but don't be tempted – the best is yet to come.

95

Stuart Knox, The Real Review 2022

Ink black core to a deeply purple rim. Mulberry, smoked meat and dry herbs on the nose. Intense dark fruits fill the mouth, there's layers of complexing features that keep you interested, smoky meats, iodine and woody herbal layers are all noticed. Whilst there's ample intensity and complexity the wine doesn't sit heavy, there's a lift and light throughout and a fine-grained tannin profile brings great drive and definition to the long finish. Plenty of cellaring potential as well.

94