Vintage Journal — 2026

Week 4 | 30 March 2026

The Season

The end is now in sight, though the work remains.
This vintage has unfolded gently — more spaced, less driven by heat — allowing each parcel to arrive in its own time. The rhythm has been steady, considered, and quietly precise.

Upcoming Fruit

  • Mourvèdre — Stone Well — Sonntag Vineyard
  • Cinsault — Stone Well — Sonntag Vineyard
  • Roussanne — Dorrien — Yelland & Papps Estate
  • Grenache Blanc — Dorrien — Yelland & Papps Estate
  • Clairette — Vine Vale — Rohrlach Vineyard

In the Winery

Shiraz and Grenache are now three weeks into carbonic maceration, slowly building depth and perfume.
The Grenache Blanc and Gris co-ferment is nearing dryness, while the Gris on its own has just begun its journey.

We are now approximately 90% through intake.

Life in the Winery

The mornings begin as they have throughout — quiet checks, gentle remontage, Baumé readings, watching each ferment find its natural rhythm.

This year, everything has moved at a calm, measured pace — exactly as we hope.

The arrival of new oak brings a moment of pause. Fresh barrels, just unwrapped, release that unmistakable perfume — something fleeting, never quite the same once filled. It is a small but shared pleasure in the midst of long days.

The Work

The final presses of Shiraz are underway.
Estate whites — Roussanne and Grenache Blanc — are being brought in.
Schild Grenache is now resting in barrel.
The last whites are pressed, and the final Vin de Soif Rouge parcels arrive.

Place

There is a subtle shift in the winery now — the sense of things beginning to slow.
The intensity of early mornings and long nights softens slightly, as the final parcels fall into place.

People

With Easter arriving during vintage, celebrations are simple.
Time shared with our children and their friends, alongside food and wine, brings a quiet balance to the season.

Craft

This is the moment where the wines begin to reveal themselves.
Parcels take shape, direction becomes clearer, and thoughts turn to where each wine will sit.
The anticipation of what they may become in the months ahead is what carries us forward.

Closing Reflection

This is often the most demanding point of vintage — where exhaustion is fully present.
But with the end now visible, there is a quiet momentum that carries you into each new day.