Harvest 2026: The Season of Our Fiftieth

An early spring, a small crop and beautifully concentrated fruit. Head winemaker Renée Ary on the 2026 harvest.

The last Cabernet Sauvignon came in on October 12, and the cellar smells the way it does every fall: fermenting fruit, wet oak and a team running on very little sleep.

It was an early year from the very beginning. Warm weather in February and March brought early budbreak, and the vineyards stayed weeks ahead of a typical season from then on. Picking began in late July, starting with Sémillon and moving through Chardonnay to the reds.

“2026 was an early season from the start,” says Renée. “Most importantly, the vines and fruit stayed in sync.”

Smaller clusters and smaller berries meant a lighter crop, but the fruit that came in had real intensity. “There was a lot of concentration in the fruit, but still really nice freshness and balance,” Renée says.

Merlot was a highlight, and in our 50th year that felt fitting. We’ve made wine from Three Palms Vineyard since our first vintage in 1978, and Merlot remains the variety we’re best known for. “It’s the variety that started everything for us,” says Renée, “and fifty years later it’s still at the heart of what we do.”

The 2026 wines are now resting in barrel. “There’s a real sense of balance and energy in the wines at this stage,” Renée says. “It’s still very early, but I’m excited about what we’re seeing.”

A fitting start to our next fifty years.