Macedon Ranges, Part 1: Bindi

 It was high time to catch up with Bindi again, the high quality producer of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Like in many parts of the country, the rainfall this year has been significant. As a result, the grass growth has been substantial, as can be seen on the photo of the famous Block 5 Pinot Noir vineyard.

These days, Bindi is much more than Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but we started with the two well known Chardonnays from barrel. 

The 2022 Kosta Rind Chardonnay is grown on volcanic soil, which gives the wine some generosity. Lime and citrus flavours are balanced with earthy notes. There is a saline quality to the attractive palate, balanced by fine acidity (94 points). The 2022 Quartz Chardonnay is a sensational wine. As the name suggests, the soil is quartz mixed with clay. This delivers a more structured wine. There is a lot of complexity on the palate of this bigger, yet dynamic wine. The mouthfeel is quite dry, with the acidity more prominent. This wine will need time to unfold. It is very persistent in the mouth, with chalky tannins and a long finish (97 points).

Then we started to taste from bottle.

The first wine was a surprise in more ways than one. The 2022 Riesling, from an outside vineyard, is Michael Dhillon's first foray into Riesling - and what a cracker this is. The grapes were grown on granite soil, quite common in Macedon. There are some floral notes here, but the main impact on the palate is lime and citrus. This wine has a wonderful texture. It is not broad. The wine has good drive, without being dominated by acidity. I liked this a lot (95 points). We tasted a 2022 Rosé, which showed an interesting blend of redcurrant, some herbal notes and white pepper. However, the slightly sweet finish overtook the positive palate impression for me (88 points).

We then went to some Pinot Noirs from new high density planted vineyards. The Darshan vineyard, named after Michael's grandfather, was planted in 2014. We tasted the 2017 Darshan Pinot Noir, the first wine from this vineyard. With 3(!) year old vines, it showed amazing promise. Dark cherry fruit blends in with mushroom and forest floor characteristics. The purity of the fruit stands out. This is a classic Pinot, quite delicate, with a silky feel: a beautiful wine (94 points). Then came the 2020 Block 8 Pinot Noir from a densely planted vineyard in 2017. So this is another wine from vines three years old. Again, it is delicate, with dark complexity and grippy tannins (93 points). This was followed by the 2021 Block 8 Pinot Noir. This showed vintage variation. The wine had higher acidity and showed good length. I found it delicious (95 points).  

The final Pinot Noir was the 2021 Kaye Pinot Noir, named after Michael's Mother. This wine is a bit more forward and approachable, with dark cherry the dominant flavour. Having said this, the structure of the wine does stand up (93 points). I found the 2021 Pyrette, the Shiraz from Heathcote, a bit perplexing. This is meant as an early and easy drinking wine. It is quite dark and peppery, with a mix of cherry and earthy notes, and a quite pronounced beetroot flavour. I did not think it gelled together all that well (90 points).

I spent two hours with Michael Dhillon on this visit. His commentary, as always, was full of insight. He has now managed this site for over 25 years, and the wines benefit from this experience. The Pinot Noirs from the new plantings are already amazingly good. It is clear he is not done yet. More great wines will come from here.