2021 Place of Changing Winds Larderdark Chardonnay

WINEMAKER: Robert Walters
REGION: Macedon Ranges, VIC
VARIETAL: Chardonnay
VITICULTURE: Organic

EXTREMELY LIMITED. Larderdark is the historical name of the forest that surrounds Place of Changing Winds. In 2021, only a minuscule 564kg of Chardonnay was harvested but with incredible quality worthy of being the first release under this label. The terrible yields were thanks to frost and difficult flowering and the grapes were finally harvested on April 7th, foot stomped and immediately pressed as hard as possible to extract every drop of juice from the thick-skinned, tiny berries. The must was then sent straight to barrel with all its solids and fermentation occurred in a two-year-old Dominique Laurent 228lt and even older barrique.

The wine was racked to a two-year-old Stockinger hogshead (300lt) for eighteen months of aging, with the balance being kept aside in a small topping tank. Malo was allowed to proceed naturally and completed very late. An exceptional wine has resulted from all these details; rich and deep, yet with great acidity and impact. It is complex and powerful in every way.

The goal since the beginning for Place of Changing Winds has been to establish a vineyard and a system of practice that can stand comparison with the world’s greatest estates. The aim has been to answer the question, “How much of a difference to style and quality does this type of extreme practice make?” The 2021s seem to be answering that question.