Place of Changing Winds
This is a highly anticipated release getting us ever closer to wines from the Place Of Changing Winds. POCW is the deeply-invested (organic, close-planted) vineyard of Rob Walters (author, journalist, importer, distributor) supported with knowledge and help by luminaries of international wine, including local hero Michael Dhillon (Bindi – he found the site for Walters) and others of significance like Olivier Lamy, the immensely important viticulturist and inspiration touchstone. Minutiae in viticulture has been emphatically described. Relative patience too. There have been wines under this label that have absorbed the Graillot Australia project, but I believe this is an independent wine, and an excursion towards releases that are entirely reflective of the single site. Here ya go. Packaging is excellent. MIKE BENNIE
Place of Changing Winds is the vineyard project of Bibendum’s founder and owner Robert Walters. It is a single site in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria where Walters and his team began planting in 2012. Prior to this, Walters had searched for almost five years to find the right location until Michael Dhillon of Bindi called him one day to say, “I’ve found your property!” It turned out Dhillon was right. The POCW site is very close to Bindi and lies on the same geological belt and yet there are very clear differences. When it comes to geology and climate, things change very quickly. Regardless, this is certainly an area with a proven track record for quality Pinot and Chardonnay. This made the choice of varieties simple.
The practice: ‘No compromise, no regrets’ is the motto here with Rob drawing on his years of experience observing many of the great growers of Europe and translating what he considered to be ‘best practice’ to his particular setting. The idea of the vineyard and, more long-term, the running of the farm, is to create a self-contained environment, run organically and, eventually, along permaculture lines – practices that maximise the chance for quality, soil and vine health and for maximum expression of place.
Place of Changing Winds is the vineyard project of Bibendum’s founder and owner Robert Walters. It is a single site in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria where Walters and his team began planting in 2012. Prior to this, Walters had searched for almost five years to find the right location until Michael Dhillon of Bindi called him one day to say, “I’ve found your property!” It turned out Dhillon was right. The POCW site is very close to Bindi and lies on the same geological belt and yet there are very clear differences. When it comes to geology and climate, things change very quickly. Regardless, this is certainly an area with a proven track record for quality Pinot and Chardonnay. This made the choice of varieties simple.
The practice: ‘No compromise, no regrets’ is the motto here with Rob drawing on his years of experience observing many of the great growers of Europe and translating what he considered to be ‘best practice’ to his particular setting. The idea of the vineyard and, more long-term, the running of the farm, is to create a self-contained environment, run organically and, eventually, along permaculture lines – practices that maximise the chance for quality, soil and vine health and for maximum expression of place.
