Awarded the 2021 New Vineyard of the Year by the Young Gun of Wine Awards, and Best New Winery of the Year 2022 by the Halliday Wine Companion Awards, the Place of Changing Winds has a motto of “no compromise, no regrets,” and is receiving acclaim that absolutely justifies this philosophy.
We are the exclusive New Zealand importers for the Place of Changing Winds and as such, you will be the first in the country to access the tiny allocation we have secured of the Grower Collection wines.
Due to the limited volumes, these will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Place of Changing Winds
“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
Place of Changing Winds
The Growers Series
In addition to their Estate wines, Place of Changing Winds also produces Syrah and Marsanne from regional Victoria. The first vineyard is located in the Heathcote region, on the famed, red “Cambrian” soils of the Mt Camel Ranges. The second vineyard is in Harcourt, 85km to the north and cooler than Heathcote, with soils of pure, granitic sands.
The Vintage
The 2021 season delivered exceptional, powerful wines from both vineyards. The Syrah have great intensity and considerable structure, while the Marsanne, with some Roussanne in the blend, is true to the Place of Changing Winds style; deep, rich and layered.
Harcourt Marsanne 2021
From the same vineyard that has gifted the Harcourt Syrah, the 2021 vintage includes a fair dollop of Roussanne in the blend, from the same site. It is a wine that will age beautifully, gaining more and more honeyed characters, but it’s delicious now. It has the same power and richness of its predecessors, yet with more vibrancy thanks to the Harcourt soils and climate, and the Rousanne inclusion.
94 Points “Really textural, rich and potent, a savoury edge and more on the preserved lemon, ginger, buttery honey toast with cool acidity underlying. It’s very complex, a layered and intense experience with Serious White Wine written all over it. Mouth-coating and lush in the most wonderful sense. Multi-dimensional wine. A full and fantastic white wine.”
~ Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
Harcourt Syrah 2021
The first pure expression of the soils and climate of Harcourt North in the Bendigo G.I. of Victoria for Place of Changing Winds, one of the most exciting terroirs for Syrah in Australia. This is a vineyard that can grow wines of tremendous perfume and finesse, even if the 2021 is a deeper, more structured style, reflecting the season. Something like a top Morgon, with good tannins.
96 Points, #1 out of 73, 2021 Shiraz from Victoria “Deep red with a tinge of purple and a bouquet that is highly perfumed and emphasising floral/violet and fresh-herb aromas, brooding spices too, while the palate is very full bodied and concentrated, deep and firm, framed in robust tannins. A big strong wine with terrific structure for ageing, the plush fruit balanced perfectly by serious tannins. Impressive shiraz.”
~ Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Syrah No.2 2021
A blend of both the Heathcote and Harcourt fruit that will drink well early. Having said this, 2021 was a very powerful year so even here the wine has serious intensity, good tannins and age-worthiness. It really benefits from plenty of air at this stage so we encourage drinkers to decant.
93/100 “While juicy and thick set it has a good deal of fruit, spice and herbal information, both perfume and palate does dark cherry, choc-mint, sage leaf, blood orange – with fine, firm, al dente tannin in the vein of nerello mascalese or similar. It’s a brooding and deep red, chewy and potent but with levity on its side. Charming in the moodier frame.”
~ Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
