Yelland & Papps
Vintage Journal — 2026
Week 6 | 13 April 2026
The Season
The season has turned. A quiet chill now sits across the vineyard and winery, softening the edges of the days. Mornings arrive slower, the light lower, and the rhythm has shifted with it. The final parcels remain on the vine — patient, measured, waiting for their moment.
Upcoming Fruit
• Shiraz — Greenock — 1890 Block — Materne Vineyard
In the Winery
Grenache Rosé continues its gentle ferment, building texture and quiet perfume.
Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette move steadily through barrel, each finding its own line — unhurried, precise, and beginning to show early balance.
The Work
Pressing continues through the last of the reds — Mourvèdre, Cinsault and the grandfather Grenache now complete. The winery begins to feel less crowded, though the detail of the work remains constant.
Place
The stillness of cooler mornings has changed the mood. There is a calm that settles in at this point of vintage — a sense of space returning, even as the days remain full.
People
This week we farewelled Milton Materne (1934–2026).
A life deeply tied to this land, spanning generations of care, knowledge and quiet persistence.
Vintage continues, as it must, alongside David — a steady presence in the vineyard. A reminder that the work carries on, even in moments of loss.
Craft
Ferments begin to settle and take shape. The early signatures of the wines emerge — structure forming, textures softening, and a sense of direction becoming clear. It is a time of watching closely, with a lighter hand.
Closing Reflection
A week that turned outward.
Less about ourselves, more about those around us.