2021 Place Of Changing Winds Heathcote Syrah

95 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday's Wine Companion

The Heathcote syrah now spends an extra year ageing – all up, 33 months; the first year matured in Stockinger barrels and concrete, then into one 2000L Stockinger cask. Good decision as the tannins are resolved and the wine feels complete. Wonderfully aromatic, from florals, dark fruit and warm spices to some charcuterie notes – think bresaola. The full-bodied palate unfurls all savoury, rich with some bitter dark chocolate and a texture of pomace. Complex and detailed, flavours build, and it finishes long. Impressive.

93 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

There’s a deal of oak flavour here but it combines well with the bold nature of the fruit. Toast, cedarwood and cream characters wrap around black cherries, plums and peppercorns, the (assertive but integrated) tannin then threaded finely. The finish is impressively prolonged, and while it feels ripe and flavoursome it’s also juicy; refreshing even.

92 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Wine Advocate

The 2021 Heathcote Syrah eloquently speaks of the red Cambrian soils upon which the fruit was grown. This is expressed via the mineral, ferrous, bloody sort of outlay of tannins that create the bedrock for the fruit. Speaking of which, the fruit is lightweight and elegant and sweeps across red and black cherries, red apple, green tea, crushed rocks and white pepper, with nuances of blueberries and asphalt. This is an interesting wine; it's engaging and pretty. 13.1% alcohol, sealed under Diam.