This year Rijk's Wine Estate started harvest five days earlier than last year and finished seven days earlier, with both Pinotage and Chenin Blanc coming in earlier than usual.
The vines were generous too, resulting in a slightly larger vintage than last year. A balanced growing season and careful work in the vineyards meant the grapes arrived at the cellar looking beautiful and healthy.
As harvest progressed, the weather turned warm and dry, which is fairly typical for this time of year in the valley. Thankfully the vines handled it well, and the grapes came in with lovely small, compact bunches which is always a good sign for flavour and concentration.
Pinotage was the first to arrive, and we can confidently say these are the best Pinotage grapes we have ever had. The fermentations were wonderfully aromatic and full of energy in the cellar. The wines are now going through malolactic fermentation and will soon move into barrel to begin their maturation.
Not long after, the Chenin Blanc followed, and those fermentations are happily ticking away in a mix of French oak barrels, concrete eggs and foudres. Each vessel brings something slightly different to the wine, helping to build layers of texture and character as it develops.
It’s still early days, but everything is pointing towards a beautiful vintage in the making, and we are excited to watch these wines evolve over the coming months.
Cheers to the 2026 harvest!