I first met winemaker Michael Dhillon, of Bindi Wines back in 1996 when I did vintage at a nearby winery in the Macedon Ranges. Michael's fanatical pursuit of perfection culminated in him being recognised as Winemaker of the Year for 2022 in James Halliday's Annual Wine Companion Awards. I've enjoyed many of Michael's wines over the years and am pleased to still have a few (but not enough!) of them in my cellar.
Michael produces sublime chardonnay and pinot noir from his own vineyards, as well as a shiraz from Heathcote, and most recently a Col Mountain grenache.
"The Block 8 vineyard is 3/4 of a hectare in size on a sheltered, north-west facing, and very quartz riddled site with some fertile volcanic soils. The eighth block planted at Bindi has a grandstand exposition sweeping down the mid slope. Here there are mostly 11,300 vines per hectare with a Crazy section at 22,600 vines per hectare featuring seven clones. The wines from this vineyard are compelling and delicious when young and as history has shown, going back to the 1992 Bindi Pinot Noir, the wines age exceptionally well from the beginning and drink beautifully for a long time.The wine spends 15-17 months in French barrels of which about 50% are new. The Block 8 wine has exceptional fruit depth and earthiness and is intensely structured, very long and ageworthy. Production typically varies from 125-200 dozen per vintage.
The 2022 Block 8 has an exotic array of aromas; raspberry, red cherry, herbs and spices and floral notes. The palate is creamy, chewy and vibrant. The tannins are velvety and build for a long finish. Five more years will see further complexity and flourish develop and it will remain delicious for at least five years beyond that."
Winemaker Michael Dhillon's notes.
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