2026 Vintage Report
Season at a glance
After several warm, fast vintages, 2026 marked a return to a cooler, more classical rhythm across southern Western Australia. A long, wet winter recharged dams and saturated soil profiles, while a mild spring with only modest heat set the vines up for slow, even ripening. With no significant heat spikes through summer and persistent cool southerly winds off the Southern Ocean, vine stress stayed low and fruit reached the winery in pristine condition.
Natural acidity was well retained, the harvest ran at an unhurried pace, and yields landed close to balanced — with Cabernet a touch lighter than hoped, often a precursor to greater concentration. Picking opened with Margaret River Chardonnay around 12 February and closed with the last Cabernet parcels in the Great Southern in mid-April.
The one moment of tension came in late March, when Cyclone Narelle formed off the WA coast with Cabernet still hanging. It tracked inland to the north of the growing regions, delivering a useful drink of water rather than damage — a fitting end to a well-paced season.
Frankland River, Great Southern
The most continental of the four regions, and Cherubino’s home base at Riversdale, Frankland River leans on cool valley airflow and the afternoon “Albany Doctor” sea breeze to temper warm days over its red, iron-rich lateritic gravels. In 2026 the wet winter fully recharged a subregion where water is always precious, and the mild, slow season suited both its Riesling and the structured Shiraz and Cabernet for which it is known. Cooler autumn days and cold nights late in the season let red tannins ripen in step with sugars, pointing to wines with genuine structure and cellaring potential. As elsewhere, Cabernet yields ran on the lighter side.
Margaret River
The maritime heart of WA fine wine, Margaret River began picking Chardonnay around 12 February under warm, settled late-summer weather. Mild days and cool nights preserved freshness and lift in the whites, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc the early standouts, arriving in excellent condition. The reds followed at a measured pace; cool autumn weather extended hang time, and the final Cabernet blocks were picked in the second week of April. Low disease pressure and slow, even ripening point to structured, age worthy Cabernet and poised, fresh whites.
Pemberton
In the cooler, wetter karri country of the Southern Forests, Pemberton turned in one of its standout seasons. Growers described the fruit as looking exceptional on the vine, with mild warm days and cool nights ideal for the region’s aromatic whites and sparkling base. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris came in clean and early, and Pinot Noir destined for sparkling arrived bright. Regional reporting summed up 2026 across the Southern Forests as dream conditions delivering an exceptional vintage.
Porongorup, Great Southern
Porongurup’s granite slopes and elevation give it a signature of taut, high-acid Riesling and finely framed cool-climate reds. The mild 2026 conditions played directly to that strength: slow ripening and cool nights preserved the bright natural acidity that defines the subregion, and Riesling and Pinot Noir came along steadily in excellent condition. It shaped up as a classic cool-climate aromatic season here.
Variety outlook and vintage character
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are the season’s clear beneficiaries, showing retained acidity and definition across all four regions. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz built slowly into a cool autumn; lighter yields and ripe-but-measured tannins suggest concentrated, structured wines worth cellaring.
2026 reads as a cool, slow, “typical” southern WA season of the kind that rewards patience in the vineyard — fresh, precise whites and structured, long-lived reds, achieved with low disease pressure and clean fruit throughout.
