Organic Principles (Not Certified). Clay-loam over fractured Mudstone. Syrah picked quite early to obtain a high natural acid profile. Barrel fermented in large format Hungarian oak puncheon and left on full solid for 4 months in an oxidative environment which promoted the development of length and layers of complexity. No fining or filtration - preferring two rackings before bottling, the last of which took place under the new moon. This wine fermented to malo and sugar dryness with ease - this clean fermentation paired with a naturally low Ph made it the perfect candidate for zero additions.

Doug Lilburne’s journey into wine started in kitchens in New York as a teenager, progressing through culinary school then to setting up a farm-to-table food program at a winery in Northern California. Winery work eventually drew him away from the stove, and vintages around the world followed. Now settled into his leased winery and vineyard in the Yarra Valley’s Steels Creek, Lilburne’s Mise en Place label focuses on home fruit and organic vineyards in the Pyrenees and Great Western to currently make a syrah, syrah and touriga nacional blend, and a syrah rosé. The winemaking is manual and traditional, with only sulphur added, and not always. The first release was in 2022 with wines from the 2021 vintage.