Place of Changing Winds, Heathcote Syrah 2022

This Syrah, from in demand Australian winemaker Robert Walters, comes from an east-facing plot of 20-plus-year-old vines rooted in the red Cambrian soils of the Mount Camel Range. Walters believes the power of the fruit stands up to extended ageing in neutral wood (including use of very large Stockinger barrels) and although it is refined and elegant with alcohol of just over 13% he believes its underlying depth will make it super age worthy. An Aussie Syrah that is not a Shiraz reveals a lot about its Old World influences, and Walter's inspiration from years of working as an importer of some of France's great wines has left its mark.