09/12/2026
What are 3 things we know about harvest 2026 so far?
1️⃣ The growing season has been warm, with Growing Degree Days (GDD, or how we measure how warm a vintage is) through August running 16% above the 30 year average, but 16% below the very warm year of 2015. My goal is always to keep alcohol, acidity, and tannin in balance and we have a better shot of doing so in a year with GDD like this. What this may mean for the w**e is that we’ll have a ripe and balanced profile, consistent with recent vintages.
2️⃣ The cool conditions and rain of the first week of September jammed on the breaks and slowed ripening down. This is outstanding news as it means that we can let grapes hang to develop more mature flavors and phenolic ripeness, which are the precursors to tannin complexity. What this may mean for the w**e is that we’ll have balance and more flavor complexity.
3️⃣ The concern with rain is that it increases the potential for disease pressure. Thus far, I have seen limited evidence of this. What this may mean for the w**e is that crop levels should remain on track, so quantity will be roughly as expected.
Overall, I'm optimistic at this stage! See 🔗 in comments for more.
**es