Organic Principles (Not Certified). Clay Loam over fractured Mudstone. Carbonic fermentation concluded with a foot stomp and short pump over for extraction of colour and aromatics. Held in neutral French oak for 8 months before being racked to a stainless tank to preserve the delicate florals. 20ppm S02 added post first racking and again one week before bottling. No fining or filtration. This wine (as well as all MEP summer releases) are bottled with dissolved CO2 which is naturally left over from primary fermentation, this is consciously done as it helps to add a natural layer of protection to the wine.

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.