Vintage 2026: Early Signs of Something Special

Things are moving quickly here in Wilyabrup as Vintage 2026 rolls on and early signs are very promising.

A wet winter and mild spring set the vines up beautifully, followed by an even ripening season with no major heat spikes. The fruit has developed slowly and evenly, giving excellent flavour, natural balance and strong varietal definition across the vineyard. We have also avoided any untimely rain events so far, touch wood, although some weather is on the way this weekend. The strong Marri blossom this season has kept the birds nicely distracted and disease pressure has been minimal.

Our white varieties came in with very good yields and exceptional quality, particularly Chardonnay, and the reds are now arriving, with our first Cabernet picked this week. With the remnants of Cyclone Narelle forecast to bring rain and windy conditions over the next few days, the team will be working hard to bring in the remaining reds ahead of the change.

As harvest continues, our focus is now shifting from the vineyard to the winery, guiding these wines through fermentation, pressing and barrelling down over the coming months. The early signs are very promising, with excellent structure, balance and clarity already showing in the young wines, suggesting this could be a very strong Margaret River vintage.