Harvest 2026: a vintage full of character
On 18 September, the last of the Chardonnay 809 grapes arrived at the winery, bringing this extraordinary growing season to a close.
After a long, sun-filled summer, our Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were beautifully ripe, while carefully selected Chardonnay was particularly expressive.
It is still early days for the wines, but Head Winemaker Mary Bridges already feels that this is a powerful vintage that will produce wines with power, intensity and plenty of personality.
A summer the vines loved
The growing season began early, with budburst on 23 March and the first flowers appearing on 1 June. A little rain in early June gave way to a long, warm summer that lasted right through harvest.
“The vines have loved it this year,” says Head Vineyard Manager Jon Pollard. “They grew like the Mediterranean weeds that they are; the season gave them the weather that they really thrive in.”
By mid-August, as the team began analysing bunches, it was clear that the grapes would be ready sooner than expected. Picking began with Pinot Noir in Boot Hill on 26 August, two weeks earlier than the start of our 2025 harvest.
Picking at just the right moment
Fine weather gave us the freedom to pick each parcel when its fruit showed the best balance of ripeness and freshness.
“In late-August, it felt urgent to start the pick in Boot Hill,” says Mary, “In some years, you feel pressure from a change in the weather, but this year, the need to get going was because the fruit was so perfect, and we didn’t want to miss the moment.”
The Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were a particular joy to harvest. The bunches ripened evenly and were in excellent condition. “All we had to say to the pickers is ‘pick everything’ because the fruit was so consistently ripe and in such good condition,” Jon says.
Amongst the Chardonnay, the lower-yielding vines in particular have produced wonderful fruit.
The first glimpse of the wines
While the picking is finished, the vintage is only just beginning in the winery. Mary and her team are now working with around 130 to 140 individual components, each offering something different for the wines they will eventually blend.
The Pinot Noir is showing real depth of red and blue fruit character, with impressive structure. The Chardonnay is expressive too, with ripe citrus, orange and juicy apple notes. In certain Butness parcels, Mary is finding the “bright, buzzy, vibrant” character that is so valuable in Gusbourne wines.
“The words ‘rich’ or ‘ripe’ are our most used descriptors so far,” Mary says. Yet for all that generosity, she is also finding balance and freshness.
There is a long way to go before we know exactly what Harvest 2026 will become. For now, it has given us exceptional Pinot fruit, characterful Chardonnay and an exciting range of wines taking shape in the cellar.
Mary thinks 2026 will sit alongside the generous, powerful vintages of 2018, 2020 and 2022. “I’m confident the finished wines are going to be great, and I look forward to getting to know the beautiful components more over the coming months,” she says.
Guided by the vintage, Mary and her team will ensure these wines have an exceptionally bright future.
