Rusty, supervising the grape picking

Vintage 2026 Report

We’re pleased to report that the 2026 vintage has delivered beautifully—though not without keeping us on our toes.

Spring brought a series of frost events across the region, and while we were fortunate to avoid direct damage in our blocks, not all vineyards were so lucky. In summer unfortunately a run of hail events swept through the district. Once again, we were lucky—our sites were spared any direct impact on fruit quality—but we did sit on the cusp of a couple of storm cells that ultimately contributed to reduced yields across several varieties.

The upside was the smaller crop set meant the vines could focus their energy, and the resulting fruit came in with excellent concentration and intensity. We were concerned we might have lost all of our Gewürztraminer as it flowers early and so its fruit set was likely to be most affected by the spring cold weather but we got lucky again! We are so pleased to be able to present you with another delicious cool-climate Gewürztraminer – we’re not supposed to have favourites but…this is such a delicious wine with a citrus zing but tropical fruit flavours that almost make you think it is sweeter than it actually is. Its also such a versatile food wine, its a great match with seafood and fresh salads or umami type flavours such as miso glazed roast vegetables or mushroom and parmesan risotto.

Harvest itself was quick and uneventful—in the best possible way. A relatively dry growing season made for very clean fruit with virtually no disease pressure, no mildews, and no bunch rot. Fruit came in in excellent condition, fermentations proceeded exactly as expected, and everything in the winery ran smoothly from start to finish. No surprises, no dramas—just steady, healthy ferments doing their work.

What stands out most from 2026 is the intensity of flavour. The combination of dry conditions and lower yields has delivered wines with complex flavours and great acid/sugar balance. There was very little for us to do in the winery to bring the flavours forward, we really just had to make sure spoilage bacteria and yeast didn’t take hold during the winemaking process.

All in all, while it wasn’t an easy growing season, it has shaped up to be a very rewarding one in the glass. We can’t wait to share these wines with you and hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Cheers,
Steph & Ben