This is an incredibly serious producer making some of the best Pinot and Syrah I've tasted from Australia (and beyond) in recent years in addition to white wines that are beyond seductive. Now more widely... Read More

This is an incredibly serious producer making some of the best Pinot and Syrah I've tasted from Australia (and beyond) in recent years in addition to white wines that are beyond seductive. Now more widely known as an Oz icon gaining cult status abroad, Place of Changing Winds is no longer a name to watch, but a name to pounce on while we still can.
 
They're located in a spectacular setting on the southern foothills of Mount Macedon in central Victoria. The striking "Place of Changing Winds" name is the English translation of Warekilla, the original designation given to it by the indigenous Wurundjeri people. Founder Robert Walters and his partner Kate Millard work with a team managed by Bordeaux-trained Rémi Jacquemain to produce two sets of wines: estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their own vines, and Syrah and Marsanne from two grower vineyards.

High-density, low-yielding vines are farmed meticulously: rootstocks, trellising and and pruning styles are always tailored precisely to the vines in question, so there is incredible diversity of cultural practice even on just three hectares of vineyard. (The farm itself is 33 hectares and change, to give you a sense of the forest-heavy biodiversity encouraged here.) All farming must be done by hand on this high-altitude site.