Place of Changing Winds Annus Horribilis Pinot Noir 2020

Place of Changing Winds is a unique high-density vineyard situated on the southern foothills of Mount Macedon in central Victoria, Australia. Established in 2012 by wine buyer and importer Robert Walters, with the aim to create a small, high-density vineyard that could produce exceptional wines. The winery is named after its original name given by the Wurundjeri people, who called it Warekilla, or Place of Changing Winds, which still holds true today. This winery produces two sets of wines - Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their own vines, and Syrah, Marsanne from two grower vineyards, which showcase the distinct characteristics of each region. The Estate wines from Place of Changing Winds are exclusively from their property, which has an altitude of 500 meters above sea level. This cool site has good rain, cold nights and a wide diurnal range, which is surrounded by native plantings and thousands of hectares of forest. The vineyard is one of a kind, with a high density of almost 45,000 vines planted across 3.1 hectares, with densities ranging from 12,000 to 33,000 vines per hectare. Over the last decade, the winery has developed a meticulous viticulture system with no synthetic chemicals used, adapted specifically to their vineyard. The cellar is next to the vines, ensuring the fruit goes directly to the fermenters within minutes. The Estate Series wines reflect the winery's no-compromise approach and the uniqueness of their place. In addition to their Estate wines, Place of Changing Winds produces Syrah and Marsanne from two grower vineyards further north, located in the Heathcote region and Harcourt. The vineyards are managed organically, and the winery team is involved in all the viticultural decisions, including the picking dates. The goal is to craft wines of great finesse, perfume and drinkability that showcase the unique terroir of each place.

There is only a single Place of Changing Winds Pinot Noir released from the 2020 vintage. While the name of the wine, Annus Horribilis—the Latin for a year of disaster or misfortune—describes the season well, the wine is anything but. Instead, we think it is rather beautiful. But it’s a very particular style that this vineyard may never make again. Therefore, Rob and Remi have decided to bottle the wine under a one-off label. If you like pretty, perfumed yet structured Pinots, then you should enjoy this. It’s fine-boned, light bodied, powdery, very delicate and yet savoury. It will likely age well, as the balance is there. But it will also drink well young. Of course, you can drink it when you want to. If you open a bottle now, or at five or 10 years, and you love it then, well, we suppose there is no reason to wait any longer.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Heathcote, Victoria
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12%
Other - Organic