Tasting Notes
This year, the POCW team decided to see if a blend of the three white grapes they have in the cellar might work as well as the Tradition red. They were blown away by the result, and so were we. This is one-third Chardonnay from a new Dominique Laurent Tronçais cask and two-thirds Marsanne and Roussanne. It has all the generosity of this producer’s Marsanne/Roussanne with the cut and thrust of the Chardonnay (not to mention some seriously classy oak). The first year of aging was in a mixture of 500-litre cask, Wineglobes and neutral barriques. The wine spent its second year in steel. It was bottled at the end of November 2023. - Distributor Note
Mid-light yellow colour, forward for its age, but the bouquet confirms that it's been wood aged and this has also added smoky charcuterie, spices and honey to result in a complex nose. The palate picks up the thread and delivers a rich full-bodied mouthful with roundness and viscosity, well judged phenolics contributing to the structure and texture, the finish rolling long and satisfying. This is a smashing Rhône-style dry white of great character and texture. 95 points. - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Warekilla. The Wurundjeri name could translate as "Happy Place". Or "Place of Changing Winds".
Robert Walters searched for almost five years trying to find a site for his warekilla. He eventually settled on the place, Bullengarook on the southern foothills of Mount Macedon, to establish Place of Changing Winds. Years of experience in the wine trade and visits to the best sites and winemaking practices around the world all culminated in Rob's decision to put down roots around Macedon. The changing winds create a high diurnal difference in temperature, embraced by the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit. Their vines are grown at extremely high density, ten times the norm, to encourage a community or single body of the plants as they develop their collective canopy, and dig their vines deep through the gravelly soils in search of water and nutrients, anchoring them against the wind. Fruit is low-yielding.
And as is the nature of the wind, Warekilla was not the only place to keep Robert grounded; Place of Changing Winds sources fruit from Heathcote for their two cuvées of Syrah and their Marsanne.
| Product Type | Wine White Blends |
| Volume | 1500ml |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Victoria |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |