A Topsy-Turvy Growing Season
It has been a topsy-turvy growing season. A warmer-than-usual start, followed by relatively consistent summer weather and a burst of heat in early September, brought many vineyards to ideal maturity and kicked off a flurry of picking.
The cooler weather this past weekend and today has given us a slight pause in picking, which is a welcome opportunity to catch up in the cellar and barrel halls! With milder temperatures in the forecast, I can continue making deliberate, vineyard-specific picking decisions rather than chasing the weather.
Lower Yields, Concentrated Fruit
One of the defining characteristics of 2026 is reduced yields, largely due to shatter and poor fruit set during bloom. While less fruit is challenging from a production standpoint, smaller berries mean higher skin-to-juice ratios, more concentrated flavors, and excellent color and tannin potential.
And I am seeing exactly that in the cellar!
Images above of Cabernet Sauvignon clusters from two different vineyards with shatter. Note the large spaces between each berry.
Early Impressions from the Cellar
The whites are showing beautiful brightness and freshness, with lower pHs and healthy natural acidity. The reds are equally exciting, with excellent concentration, structure, and distinct vineyard expression, all without needing to push the fruit to excessive ripeness.
Sourcing Across Napa Valley
Sourcing from across Napa Valley’s diverse AVAs has also worked in our favor, with a nice separation in ripening between vineyard sites and a more manageable flow of fruit into the winery. Less of the “everything is ripe at once” harvest madness… I’ll take it!
There is still plenty of harvest ahead, but I am excited about the wines taking shape. 2026 may give us less wine, but it has the potential to give us some exceptional wine.
And yes, I still owe you Part II of From Vineyard to Barrel! I’ll circle back to our barrel selection process and the influence of French oak once the harvest dust settles a bit.
Until then, back to the winemaking!
Happy Harvest from the 2026 Production Team!
