2021 Place of Changing Winds Syrah 'Grower Series - Harcourt,' Victoria

“Most tasting days are exciting, but some start off better than others. Today, the first bracket begins with this 2021 Harcourt Syrah, and it is so vibrantly aromatic that I was forced to slow down and nose the rest of the lineup. Safe to say, I was smiling by the time I circled back to this wine. This 2021 vintage is the inaugural release of the Harcourt Syrah; the vineyard is located 85 kilometers north of Place of Changing Winds (located on the southern foothills of Mount Macedon), part of the Bendigo GI, and is planted on sandy, granitic soil. The wine was matured for almost two years, in a combination of neutral oak (barrique through to 1,000 liters), followed by one year in unlined concrete. On the nose, there is Earl Grey tea, lavender, crushed rocks, wafts of bergamot, raspberry, star anise and cracked fennel seeds. In the mouth, the wine is deeper and more seductive than the aromas suggest, tailing out over a long, lingering finish. There is a "quiet" note to this wine, pleasurable like ASMR. The tannins are gritty and black, chewy and succulent. This is very fine, and it will silk out further over time. 13.9% alcohol, sealed under Diam, (WA, 95 points)."