9 January 2026

year of the fire horse

The fire horse came early in Harcourt on the 9/1 , as we were expecting it on the 17/2 . Or was it the end of the wood snake which started this devastating fire ? The indigenous people from the Jaara country always said Leanganook needed a good clean. And a friend historian tracked down a few historical fire in that corridor , now expanded by the freeway M79 . The catastrophic forecast that I was underestimating earlier that day , proved to be below estimation when I received the video of the total destruction of the coolsore around 20.00 on the 9/1 .

Maison Lapalus lost everything as everything was in the coolstore , including some precious wines from my personal cellar .

My thoughts are with the people who lost more than a business, a home is an anchor that carries so much.

Exactly a month later , the cleaning will start with no hope of recovering anything except a few barrel racks or maybe a blacken tank or a twisted bench. Some barrels are charred outside and still hold some liquid . Curiosity is a good thing but I think we are touching the limit here.

During that month the amount of support has been truely out of any measure, with family , friends, locals and industry. In particular winegrower friends who donated wines in order to create a blend for Maison Lapalus,” Le vin de mes Amis”(the wine of my friends).

There will be a white , a rose , a light red and a more savoury red. These wines should be available in the following weeks and we allow us to reflect on the catastrophe and find the best path towards Renaissance.

Toujours en vin .

Gilles

PS : a note on Maidenii who was also severely affected , but with stock held in Melbourne and Macedon can continue to trade. Vintage 2026 is compromised so there will be a transition period which will see the creation of two new vermouths in the second half of the year.

Stay safe and drink well .

.

please visit the wine store ,here, to find out more about these wines . Sante, Gilles.