Dahlitz Single Vineyard Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, rosemary-crusted lamb chops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the historic Dahlitz vineyard in the Krondorf sub-region of the Barossa Valley, this exceptional single-vineyard wine highlights a grape variety rarely given the solo spotlight in Shiraz-dominated South Australia. The Dahlitz family has a long-standing history of grape growing in the region, tending to these vines with meticulous care. Grown on rich clay over limestone soils, the fruit benefits from the cooling breezes of the foothills, allowing the Merlot to develop deep, complex flavors while retaining its natural acidity. Crafted using traditional basket pressing and open fermenters, the wine is aged in seasoned and new French oak hogsheads, resulting in a plush, velvety texture with notes of dark plum, mulberry, and subtle spice.
🍾 About the Producer
Constructed in 1890 from local Bethany bluestone, Château Tanunda stands as an iconic monument to early Australian viticulture. Originally erected to fulfill European wine demand following the phylloxera epidemic, the historic estate fell into disrepair until it was acquired and painstakingly revitalized by John Geber in 1998. Today managed by second-generation custodian Michelle Geber alongside senior winemaker Jeremy Ottawa, the property occupies a prized floor position in the Barossa Valley. The estate oversees deeply rooted vineyard parcels anchored in ancient red-brown clays and loams over limestone, moderated by warm Mediterranean sunshine and cool nocturnal katabatic breezes from the Barossa Ranges. Viticulture emphasizes conservation and environmental certification through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Winemaking combines basket-pressing and traditional open fermentation with seasoned French and American oak aging. The estate is widely acclaimed for its Old Vine Expressions—including 50, 100, and 150 Year Old Vines Shiraz and Field Blends—alongside the pinnacle Everest Shiraz and benchmark Grand Barossa portfolio.
🍇 Grapes
Merlot
🍷 ABV
14.5%