Zilzie Wines is a family-owned producer run by the Forbes family, whose winery sits at Karadoc in Victoria's Murray Darling. For this label the fruit is sourced from cooler, higher-altitude vineyards in South Australia's Adelaide Hills, a region well suited to Pinot Noir thanks to its elevation, cool nights and longer ripening. The sites sit on a mix of loam and clay soils, with canopy and yield management geared to retaining freshness and varietal perfume. The 2023 season was cool and later than average under La Nina influence, favouring careful vineyard work and giving fresh, aromatic fruit.

The Adelaide Hills fruit was cool-fermented on skins to draw out colour and flavour, then gently pressed to stainless steel to preserve freshness and brightness. Regular but gentle handling kept tannins soft and the mouthfeel supple. A portion of the wine saw oak to add a toasty frame and roundness, with the emphasis remaining on vibrant, luscious dark-berry and cherry fruit rather than structure or extraction. The wine was blended, stabilised and bottled early to capture its fruit-driven, approachable character, and is made for enjoyment on release or within a couple of years of vintage.