As the 2026 harvest begins to take form, we are finding that this vintage may be one of the earliest in the past 50 years. Unusual flowering weather following spring bloom did not result in many grapes in the cluster, but with sufficient water, sunshine ripening the fruit, and plenty of leaves for photosynthesis, the sugar maturities on these grapes took off. 

Yields are way down for all varieties, which lends to securing wines with solid flavor concentration. It will be an early harvest year, but winemakers are more excited about strong varietal characteristics being exhibited in red varietals in this region, and many are already talking about elegance in the projected early developing wines.