As the buzz of harvest winds down to a lo-fi hum, the last ferments go dry, and the international winemakers that descend on Marlborough every year fly off to their next adventure; the winery is calm once again.
Every year brings excitement about the possibility of ‘what could be’, and in Marlborough this season the rhythm of Mother Nature was setting the pace for an early, warm and dry growing season. A very ‘classic’ Marlborough vintage, if you will, but in January the tempo shifted and gave the industry a short, gentle, reminder to stay focussed on the task at hand – growing exceptional fruit. It’s easy in the right conditions, but when those conditions change quickly, your crew need to be ready to change tack and fast.
There is a lot of talk about how “early” the harvest was, for the most part, we were a couple of days ahead of previous ‘earliest harvest’ dates, but it was the ripening between sites and varieties that had my focus. It’s easy to fall into the “same-same” trap, that sites and blocks ripen similarly or on par as previous years – the realisation that I was harvesting all four varieties of Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Gris and Chardonnay on the same day across Southern and Wairau Valley’s was a new challenge that the team rose to with success.
What I’m really loving at this stage is the range of aromas and flavours in tank and barrel. There are the classic Marlborough crunchy ripe greens, beautifully scented citrus, the unavoidable yet charming tropicality and the coastal influence of salty minerality. Noted is good concentration and elements of complexity – the wines are showing real promise and I look forward to sharing a glass over some memories of 2026 in good time.
Matt Ward - 04/05/2026
