Description
With his father Bill, Michael Dhillon planted the first vines at Bindi in the Macedon Ranges in 1988. In the years to come, the wines produced by Michael have grown to become some of the most highly regarded Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Australia.
Michael’s profound understanding of the specificity within the parcels of the family farm allow for the nuances to be truly expressed—especially for an area known for wines of laser-like focus and purity.
The Kostas Rind Chardonnay is from a 1.5 hectare plot planted in 1988. It sits on shattered quartz and volcanic matter over silt, sandstone and clay, combining to produce a wine of deep flavours and minerality. Following a natural alcoholic fermentation, it spends roughly a year in French oak, of which approximately 20% is new. The wine isn’t stopped for going through malolactic fermentation, even though only a small portion of it still does. The 1991 Chardonnay—first wine ever produced at Bindi—was dedicated to Bill Dhillon’s mentor, Kostas Rind, who first introduced him to the world of fine wine and to this day is honoured as the Kostas Rind Chardonnay.
The 2020 Kostas Rind has already sold out at the winery—which is why being able to experience the additional bottle age here of the 2016 vintage is truly a rarity and a great insight to the aging capability of the wines.
Michael’s wines are often paralleled to Burgundy, though it would be more apt to regard them as true expressions of place, unique to his very special patch of ground in the Macedon Ranges.
