Place of Changing Winds Heathcote Marsanne 2019

One of our favourite white wines this year, and right up with best Marsanne’s in Australia. The reductive elements mentioned below have integrated beautifully, and certainly don’t dominate the nose. There are still some smoky, creamy and flint notes, but these are in tandem with honeysuckle, melon, white peach and fig. We loved the feel of this wine. Amplitude, filling every part of the mouth, but with a mouth watering vibrancy. Weightless presence and subtle power. Fleshy and succulent across a lithe and silky frame, with just a hint of skinsy texture. Hard to believe this is the Place of Changing Winds first Marsanne. Waters Wine Co.

This is the first year Place of Changing Winds has produced a Heathcote Marsanne. It was picked from the same Colbinabbin vineyard as the Syrah, where the vines occupy a small patch at the base of the slope. As this was their first crack at Marsanne, there was a lot of experimentation: with some crushing, some maceration, and various cask and lees aging trials.

The result is an intriguing, complex and relatively full-bodied wine that will benefit from cellaring. For now, do not be scared to give it a decant as it’s still tightly wound. It’s smoky, with plenty of struck match and solids influence as well as pear, melon and honey notes lurking in the background (which become more prominent with air). Producer’s notes.