The 2026 vintage has now drawn to a close, and while the start to summer brought its challenges, the vineyard provided a welcome focus throughout, as is often the case.
Following a mild growing season and a long, steady ripening period, the vineyard delivered fruit in excellent condition. The extended ripening allowed the grapes to develop beautifully, with balanced flavours and exceptional quality evident throughout the harvest.
The first Shiraz grapes were picked on 29 April, marking the beginning of another exciting vintage. From those first bins arriving at the winery through to the final fermentations, the season progressed smoothly, with each parcel of fruit showing great promise.
On the 5 June, we put the last of the wines to bed in barrique barrels, officially bringing the winemaking side of vintage 2026 to a close. While there is still plenty of work ahead as the wines mature and develop, it's always a satisfying milestone to reach.
Looking back, the combination of favourable weather conditions, patient ripening, and fruit arriving in such excellent condition has given us every reason to be optimistic about the wines taking shape in the cellar. Early signs are extremely encouraging, and everything is looking very good indeed.
