The Tradition Red from Place of Changing Winds marries the elegance of Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir with the robust character of Heathcote Syrah. This blend creates a vibrant, charming red wine, paying homage to the legendary Maurice O’Shea wines of the 1950s and 1960s. Owner Rob Walters combines 40% Pinot Noir from Macedon with 60% Syrah from Heathcote and Harcourt. The wine aged for a year in a mix of large and small neutral oak barrels, finishing in a steel tank and a 600-litre Stockinger cask. This process ensures a bright, perfumed, and juicy wine, that's fruit-focused rather than shrouded in oak. On the palate, Tradition Red is soft, smooth, and effortlessly drinkable. The Pinot Noir offers elegance, while the Syrah adds depth and spice. This blend results in a wine that is both sophisticated and approachable. The Tradition Red is a model for modern Australian red wine, perfect for enjoying now or aging further. It showcases Rob Walters' dedication to creating wines of exceptional character and charm.

Mari Magno is a new expression from Place of Changing Winds, and this first release already makes a strong case for itself. It’s built around fruit from the echalas block (a high-density bush vine planting) and a handful of young vine parcels that didn’t go into the main cuvées. The team gave it an extra year in bottle before release, just to see how it’d play out – and, turns out, that patience paid off. This is a more relaxed, earlier-drinking Pinot by their standards, but still carries that POCW clarity and structure. It’s perfumed, juicy, and layered, with plenty of savoury edges to keep things interesting. Think bright fruit and a touch of gamey, herbal complexity. Fermentation was wild, farming’s all organic, and the whole thing was made with the same low-intervention approach the estate is known for. Just 819 bottles made, and it’s unlikely to hang around long. One of those wines that feels thoughtful, but also just easy to drink.

PLACE OF CHANGING WINDS Between Two Mountains Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges

Previously labeled Graillot Project Syrah No. 2, the 2016 vintage was the last vintage of this wine to be bottled under the Graillot labelling. In Robs words, we have been working very hard on the viticulture of the Heathcote site for a long time now and we have been organic for the last few years. We have agreed to begin the certification process before the next harvest. As a result of this, and other farming practices that have been implemented, we believe that we have seen some significant improvement in the fruit and the expression of place and we all therefore feel, (myself, Max and Alain Graillot), that the time is right to emphasise the vineyard and region over the makers. The Graillots will continue with their involvement as before. Further, with the wines (from 2018) now made at Place of Changing Winds, the two Heathcote Syrah wines can now be seen as part of the Place of Changing Winds family. This is also reflected on the back label. In most other respects, the song remains the same. All the fruit is hand harvested and the 2017 was blended from spontaneous 100% whole bunch ferments. This 2017 was raised by Luke Lambert, mostly large format, neutral oak (predominantly Stockinger) and no sulphur used through the ageing. As always, the winemaking is extremely simple. 2017 needs little introduction, so lets just say that this vintage gave exceptionally pure, balanced fruit, which we think is borne out in the quality of this release.