Product Info:
Made only in suitable years, this wine is inspired by the era-defining Syrah/Pinot blends crafted by Hunter legend Maurice O’Shea in the 1940s and ’50s. This release is a blend of 40% Pinot from estate vines and 60% Syrah from Heathcote and Harcourt. It spent the first year in a mix of large and small oak barrels, mostly neutral, with the last phase of aging in steel tank and 600-litre Stockinger cask. It was bottled at the end of November 2023. The result is a bright, perfumed, juicy wine. Although delicious now, it will certainly age well.
Maker:
Place of Changing Winds is a unique high-density vineyard situated on the southern foothills of Mount Macedon in central Victoria, Australia. Established in 2012 by wine buyer and importer Robert Walters, with the aim to create a small, high-density vineyard that could produce exceptional wines. The winery is named after its original name given by the Wurundjeri people, who called it Warekilla, or Place of Changing Winds, which still holds true today. This winery produces two sets of wines - Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their own vines, and Syrah, Marsanne from two grower vineyards, which showcase the distinct characteristics of each region. The Estate wines from Place of Changing Winds are exclusively from their property, which has an altitude of 500 meters above sea level. This cool site has good rain, cold nights and a wide diurnal range, which is surrounded by native plantings and thousands of hectares of forest.
Philosophy:
The vineyard is one of a kind, with a high density of almost 45,000 vines planted across 3.1 hectares, with densities ranging from 12,000 to 33,000 vines per hectare. Over the last decade, the winery has developed a meticulous viticulture system with no synthetic chemicals used, adapted specifically to their vineyard. The cellar is next to the vines, ensuring the fruit goes directly to the fermenters within minutes. The Estate Series wines reflect the winery's no-compromise approach and the uniqueness of their place. In addition to their Estate wines, Place of Changing Winds produces Syrah and Marsanne from two grower vineyards further north, located in the Heathcote region and Harcourt. The vineyards are managed organically, and the winery team is involved in all the viticultural decisions, including the picking dates. The goal is to craft wines of great finesse, perfume and drinkability that showcase the unique terroir of each place.
Nose - Dark Chocolate, Roasted Nuts, Cedarwood
It tastes of sheer plum, dark chocolate, roasted nuts and sweet cherry, with woodsy spice and cedarwood characters as part of the veneer.
Palate - Plush Plums, Sweet Cherry, Woody Spice
here’s texture, there’s twigs, there’s pure, perfectly ripened fruit, and there’s a firm stamp of integrated tannin.
Finish - Light Char, Persistent, High Drinkability
There’s texture, there’s twigs, there’s pure, perfectly ripened fruit, and there’s a firm stamp of integrated tannin. There’s some char to the aftertaste, which is not a distraction and is not a negative. There’s a lot to delve into here. It’s excellent.
“It’s not heavy but there’s impressive intensity of flavour here. It tastes of sheer plum, dark chocolate, roasted nuts and sweet cherry, with woodsy spice and cedarwood characters as part of the veneer. There’s texture, there’s twigs, there’s pure, perfectly ripened fruit, and there’s a firm stamp of integrated tannin. There’s some char to the aftertaste, which is not a distraction and is not a negative. There’s a lot to delve into here. It’s excellent.” 95 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
“Here is 60% syrah from Heathcote and Harcourt with a bolstering remainder of pinot noir. A variety of vessels cajole the wine to bottle. This feels meaty and sleek in the same breath. A whiff of woody spices and undergrowth before a compote of forest berries with a high note of tart cherry. Similar to taste, a sluice of fine, grainy tannin in tow, on medium weight and very persistent. It’s a slurpier red with plenty of charisma and high drinkability.” 93 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Heathcote, Victoria
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 1.5L
ABV - 13.5%
Other - Organic
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