Place of Changing Winds Syrah No. 2 2022

“Place of Changing Winds – the place and the vineyard – may well be the most exciting ‘new’ development in Australian wine. It will jump straight on to elite lists of Australian wine producers. You could describe this endeavour in one word: uncompromised.”

~ Campbell Mattinson, The Winefront

Rob Walters, head of Bibendum, one of Australia's premier wine importers, has taken inspiration from the many astounding producers in his portfolio to create his own winery, Place of Changing Winds.

500 metres above sea level, the ancient soils here are riddled with quartz, quartzite and sandstone and only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is grown. The vines are planted very closely at a range of densities—from 12,000 to 33,000 vines/ha.

This wine is a blend of Heathcote (66%) and Harcourt (34%) Syrah, with the same amount of attention to detail as all their other cuvées. Serious intensity, good tannins and age-worthiness. About 70% whole bunches were used, and the wine was matured in a range of casks (primarily large Stockinger) for the first year before resting in tank for the rest of its maturation. It was bottled in late December 2023. It’s a spicy, cool Syrah/Shiraz that will drink well young but can be aged with confidence.