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.
"Less that 20% of the usual volume made. This wine is made without additions of yeast, nutrients or enzymes. Once the juice is in the barrel a small amount of sulphur is added and then we wait, usually about five days, for the fermentation to begin. The wine spent 10 months on yeast lees in French barrels, of which 25% were new, and was bottled in late February. Typical and distinctive aromas of grapefruit and lemon with jasmine blossom lift from the glass and with time gently creamy and savoury/spicy aromas emerge. The palate is full, fresh, chalky, zesty, harmonious and quite smooth. It’s early days and five years of careful cellaring will see a building of complexity and texture."
Winemaker Michael Dhillon.
