Otway Ranges, Victoria
Dinny Goonan Family Estate is a vineyard that continues to go from strength to strength since their establishment in the late 1980s. They are located at Winchelsea on the Otway Ranges of South Western Victoria (they are actually classified as Geelong!) and produce a modest 1000 cases of high quality wine each year. Recently, they were awarded a five star rating by James Halliday in his 2010 Wine Companion.
So, what exactly is a Dinny Goonan? Well, Dinny Goonan is actually the owner and winemaker of the vineyard, with his name coming from his strong Irish heritage. Instead of planting potatoes, Dinny decided to plant vines and success quickly followed. Dinny's mission was to "produce wines of exceptional quality, with a focus on Riesling and Shiraz". There is little doubt that this has been fullfilled so far, with the 2008 Early Harvest Riesling and the 2006 Shiraz both being awarded 94 points by James Halliday and the 2008 Riesling given a 91. All three will reward further cellaring.
We found the EH Riesling to be most interesting, and one that has been supremely popular with our wine club members. It is truly a glorious mix of citrus sweetness and acidity that we had not experienced before. The complexity was even more suprising given that it is a low-alcohol wine at only 8%. Think summer, sun, and afternoon.
