Dear friends,
The last bunch has been brought into the cellar and the must is finishing its fermentation. It is time to tell you about this 2026 season, which will go down as one of the earliest in the history of the Vaud vineyards.
A year of heat and drought, which gave us fewer grapes than usual, but healthy bunches, rich in sugar and full of character. In difficult times for our trade, this vintage is a true reason to rejoice.
The year in four moments
Spring
The third warmest in Switzerland since 1864, with very little rain. Early flowering: the vine gained a head start it would keep right through to the harvest.
Summer
Heat records from June onwards and a summer at least as hot as 2003. The clay soils and the old vines, with their deep roots, resisted the drought best.
In the vineyard
The dry weather kept disease at bay. We were able to cut treatments back sharply.
The harvest
The chasselas harvest opened in early September, a few days ahead of the old 2003 record. Grapes arriving at the cellar in perfect condition, with hardly any sorting: an ideal harvest.
A little anecdote: the 1945 vintage was exceptionally early too — chasselas was picked as early as mid-August that year… and sold as table grapes!
2026 in three figures
+1.6 °C
above the spring average in Switzerland
2.2 g
the average weight of a chasselas berry, compared with nearly 3 g in a normal year
< 2003
a harvest that opened before that of 2003, the previous record
573 mm
of rain between 1 January and 14 October, versus 872 mm in a normal year: 34% less rain
And at our winery?
We opened the harvest on 22 August with the sauvignon blanc, and finished on 16 September with the cabernet franc and the merlot. Nearly four weeks of picking: a spread-out harvest, so that every variety could be picked at just the right ripeness.
For the estate, 2026 is a record early vintage: we have never harvested so early. It is also the very first vintage with Julien at the helm of the estate: a remarkable baptism! Yields are lower than usual, but the grapes show exceptionally high sugar concentrations.
To spare the grapes and the team, we picked mainly early in the morning, in the cool of the day, before the heat set in.
In the vineyard, the season was less energy-hungry than a rainy year, with far fewer treatments. It did, however, call for other kinds of care: our young vines under 3 years old were watered plant by plant to help them through the drought.
In the cellar, the alcoholic fermentations went smoothly, and the malolactic fermentations, where we wanted them, are drawing to a close. The first tastings confirm our hopes: we are very pleased with the quality of the wines, and we look forward to introducing them to you.
Rare cuvée · Reservation
Perle de Quintessence — Merlot 2026
Born from small berries brimming with sunshine, our 2026 merlot promises a rare cuvée of exceptional quality. As volumes are very limited, it will be reserved first and foremost for our loyal customers.
Those who sign up here will be the first to hear when it is released.
I want to be the first to knowBehind the scenes of the grape
What a scorching summer changes in your glass
Picture a grape as a small fruit ripening in the sun, a bit like a peach or an apricot. The hotter it gets, the more it fills with sugar. This year, the drought also deprived it of water, so the juice concentrated like a syrup. The result: very sweet grapes that will give round, generous wines full of sunshine.
But the sun has its downside too. The heat gradually melts away the grape’s natural freshness, that touch of acidity that makes a wine lively and easy to drink. Our challenge was therefore to find the perfect moment: picking late enough for the grapes to be fully ripe, but early enough for them to keep their sparkle. That is why we picked from dawn onwards, in the cool, tasting berries plot by plot.
Another feature of 2026: smaller berries than usual. Less juice, but proportionally more skin — and it is in the skin that a wine’s colour and character lie. Our reds, and the merlot in particular, are shaping up with a beautiful deep colour and plenty of substance.
As for the whites, our early-morning picks preserved their most delicate aromas, such as the fresh, fragrant notes of the sauvignon blanc.
« It is a source of pride to have harvested grapes of this quality, and an honour to vinify this exceptional vintage. »
Julien, winemaker
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We look forward to raising a glass with you, and thank you for your loyalty,
Julien and the whole team at the estate
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