Tasting Ground official tasting, 2021 Place of Changing Winds

A beautiful tasting of the 2021 vintage

• 2021 Place of Changing Winds Pinot Noir Between Two Mountains

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Macedon Ranges

  Place of Changing Winds is located, roughly equidistant, between Mount Macedon and Mount
  Bullengarook, hence the name of this cuvee. This wine ended up being around one third whole bunches and spent nineteen months maturating in Stockinger casks with no new oak.
  2,754 bottles and 36 magnums produced.
  -/-
  Gorgeous, fragrant, floral/pot pouri notes, fine spice frame, maraschino cherries, elegant oak notes, ripe to overripe strawberries, candy notes, decadent and welcoming.
  Palate is very fresh, elevated acidity wakes up your taste buds, cherries and currants rather than strawberries, tight texture, youthful tannins, with time the fruit darkens, med body with long finish
  Way young for now

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• 2021 Place of Changing Winds Pinot Noir High Density

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Macedon Ranges

  While all of the vines are “high density”, this blend is based on the highest density vines planted at 20,000/ha to 33,000/ha. Here the fruit was mostly destemmed with less than 10% whole-bunch. All of the fruit from this plot of 33,000 vines/ha was hand destemmed with scissors, keeping these berries completely intact on their pedicel. This method gives the most of the benefits of whole bunch, without the stem. It’s whole-berry rather than whole bunch. The aging was for nineteen months in 100% Stockinger (500lt and barrique), 25% new.
  1,104 bottles and 24 magnums produced.
  -/-
  The wine feels more reserved than “Between Two Mountains”. The fruit is more in balance with all the spice and oak notes. Plus, there are a few more savoury elements adding depth and complexity.
  Palate is far more youthful; the acidity is more elevated cleansing everything in its path. The fruit sits squarely on its red side. Rather aggressive (for now) on the palate, the flavours are a bit “murky”, full body with long finish. The wine is really youthful. One must be patient with this one. Sadly, I wasn’t

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• 2021 Place of Changing Winds Syrah No 2

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  This wine is a blend of both the Heathcote and Harcourt fruit. The aim has been to produce an
  accessibly priced Syrah that will drink well early. About 60% whole bunches were used and the wine was matured in a range of wood (mostly neutral Stockinger cask) and concrete for 16 months, before resting in tanks for six months prior to bottling in late February 2023.
  11,682 bottles and 60 magnums produced.
  -/-
  The wine shows fragrant floral profile, violet infused nose with loads of fresh red and blue berries, elegant and smooth, a bit “dusty” and earthy with a tiny bit of spice adding a different kind of flair.
  Palate is juicy, smooth, velvety texture, a touch warm with buckets of blue and black cherries, full body, minerality, nice acidity that lifts the whole palate, ends with long finish.
  Very tasty, so much fun to drink cases of it now

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• 2021 Place of Changing Winds Syrah Harcourt Heathcote

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  Here’s the first pure expression of the soils and climate of Harcourt North in the Bendigo G.I. of Victoria (about an hour’s drive north of the cellars). It is believed this specific place, with its pure, sandy granite soils and its mild climate, is one of the most exciting terroirs for Syrah in Australia. About half whole-bunch, the wine underwent almost two years of maturation, one year in neutral wood (barrique through to 1000lt) and one year in an unlined concrete tank. Bottling was late February 2023. 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.
  3,216 bottles and 60 magnums produced.
  -/-
  The wine smells 5 shades darker than “Syrah no2”. Ripe fresh blue berry, floral notes, darker spice notes in the back with clove, whole spice and licorice. There are a few stalky notes adding depth and structure in the frame.
  Palate showing high intensity, a touch warmer but with great tannic strength, tight and dry, showing youthful blue and black berries, big body, acidity and long finish
  An iron fist in a velvet glove turning everything into a pulp!

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