Luke Lambert is a small, cult Yarra Valley producer whose tiny production sells out quickly each release. The Syrah is drawn from an unirrigated vineyard in the south-west of the Yarra Valley, some of the coolest terrain in the region, where the young vines are still establishing themselves. The cool site and dry-grown, low-vigour vines give the ethereal, savoury, medium-bodied style that defines the wine, with a strong sense of place. The 2022 Yarra Valley season was cool and favoured freshness and finesse, producing fruit of fine natural structure that suited Lambert's restrained, whole-bunch-driven approach.

The wine is made with a deliberately light touch and minimal intervention. Around 60% whole bunches were included and the fruit fermented on wild, indigenous yeasts, with malolactic fermentation also proceeding naturally. Extended time on skins builds the fine, chewy tannin latticework that critics single out. The wine was then matured in large-format French oak foudre, the neutral, large vessels adding structure and slow micro-oxygenation without imparting oak flavour, keeping the violet, blueberry and savoury, iodine-like characters pure. The result is a spicy, aromatic and finely structured Syrah built for medium-term cellaring.