A Wild, Wild Year — Vintage 2026

Every vintage teaches you something new. The 2026 season taught us patience, resilience, and the quiet confidence that comes from knowing your blocks.

The Season

From the moment the vines budded in spring, 2026 showed us it wasn’t going to be a simple year. The Clare Valley ran warm and dry through much of the growing season. Rain came mostly at the right time, with big 20-30 mm drenching but after November we didnt see another rain. We were tracking beautifully toward a late but exceptional harvest.
Vintage started on the 23rd of February and we picked some beautiful Riesling and Tempranillo.
Then, right in the middle of picking, 130mm of rain arrived in a matter of days.

Anyone who has spent time around vineyards knows what mid-harvest rain can mean. Berries split under the pressure, disease moves fast, and everything you have tended since winter can unravel in days. But we had been watching the forecasts closely. Watervale’s soils — that beautiful red loam sitting over limestone — drain well, and we knew the window before the rain arrived. We made the call: split the crew and get as much picked as we could before it hit.

The Rain Event

We worked pretty hard, starting picking at 4am and working well into early evening. By the time the rain arrived, half the vineyard was already safely in the winery — in tanks and smelling extraordinary. Then came the harder part: we waited. (Picking early in the morning also allows us to process the grapes at cooler temperatures which is optimal for higher quality of fruit management)

Doing nothing when every instinct says act is one of the disciplines winemaking demands. We walked the rows every morning. We watched the bunches. We checked the ground. And we let the vineyard breathe and dry at its own pace.

“We walked the rows every single morning. A few split berries — we sorted those carefully on the table. But the vines were fine. The fruit that came in after the rain was actually stunning.”

— Jason, Crabtree Wines

When the sky finally cleared and the ground had dried enough to move through the rows, we went back in. What we found was genuinely better than we expected. No botrytis. No disease. A few split berries that needed hand-sorting at the table, but the bunches were intact and the fruit tasted pure and concentrated.

In fact, the rain gave the later-picked fruit something a dry, accelerated harvest rarely offers: extra time on the vine. Those additional days deepened the flavour in ways that made the post-rain parcels some of the most interesting fruit we’ve ever brought in.

The Wines

Watervale Riesling — 2026

Our Riesling went in before the rain, and it shows in the wine. This is precise, focused, and full of energy. The long dry summer concentrated flavour in the berry, while cool Watervale nights held the natural acidity firm. What you get in the glass is lime blossom, fresh citrus, and a steely mineral thread that runs right through to the finish. It is drinking beautifully now and will only improve over the next few months whilst it develops in tank.

Estate Shiraz — 2026

The 2026 Shiraz is genuinely a wine of two stories. The pre-rain parcels are tighter and more structured — dark cherry, cracked pepper, and tannins with real grip and purpose. The post-rain fruit, hand-sorted and carefully managed, brings a softer generosity to the blend: plum, dark chocolate, and a warm earthy finish that speaks unmistakably of Watervale red loam over limestone. Together they make a Shiraz we are very proud of. We will be paying close attention to this one over the next year.

Grenache — 2026

The Grenache was the surprise of the vintage. Picked entirely after the rain cleared, those extra days of warm post-rain ripening gave the fruit something we have not seen in this block before. On the nose: bright raspberry, strawberry, a suggestion of dried herbs and warm spice. On the palate: silky, light on its feet, and completely irresistible. We've put two parcels of Grenache to bed in our brand new concrete eggs this year. We're very excited to see the results of maturation on these. STAY TUNED!