The last grape has been picked. The cellar hums with the quiet anticipation of fermentation, and a particular stillness has settled over the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley — the kind that only follows the beautiful intensity of harvest.
The 2026 season began in a way we hadn’t quite experienced here before. Spring arrived dry and warm — unusually so for a valley that typically keeps us on our toes with persistent moisture and the disease pressure that comes with it. The vines thrived in these ideal conditions, and we found ourselves wondering whether we were heading for one of our earliest harvests yet.
Then February arrived with a different plan. Unexpected rains pressed pause on everything, and for a week we waited — watching, patient — as the vineyards and grapes slowly dried out before we could resume picking. In the meantime, the cellar stayed busy. Space had already been cleared for the fruit still to come, and we made good use of those quieter vineyard days.
What the season ultimately delivered has us very happy. Yields were generous, thanks to notably bigger bunches — a gift from the favourable conditions at the end of 2024, when this year’s flowers were already being quietly prepared in the dormant buds. Nature, it turns out, plans ahead.
The moment you walk into the cellar tells you something about a vintage before any analysis does. This year, the aromas were extraordinary — abundant, layered, and heady in the way that signals something special in the reds. It is one of those sensory memories that stays with you long after harvest is over.
Now comes the patient part. We can’t wait to share what this vintage becomes.
