2026 VINTAGE REPORT: BY IAN HONGELL

2026 Vintage Report, April 28, 2026

As I write this note we draw to the conclusion of a 12-week classically long harvest. Cellar staff from Australia, Austria, Italy, Argentina, France and the USA have joined the Torbreck Winery and Vineyard teams for what has unfolded to be a harvest of great promise.

Spring of 2025 was cool and wet, most of the Barossa’s annual rainfall eventuated in the last 5 months of the year. Budburst, the first sign of new growth was 2 to 3 weeks later than average and as such we avoided any frosts this year.

This late seasonal rain whilst fortifying the vines for the oncoming summer months extended the flowering and set on vines south of Tanunda towards Lyndoch and Williamstown.

In the Northern districts like Greenock and Ebenezer and the elevated Eden Valley, later flowering missed this rainfall with these areas setting their fruit in a timely manner.

The Summer months were dry, warm to hot with a burst of heat early January reducing yields when some bunches were sunburnt. Foliage remained strong and active over these months from the Spring rainfall, creating an environment for optimal colour and flavor development. Temperatures moderated in February and we began harvest with Semillon. This flowed gradually into Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc concluding with Clairette at the start of April. The white wine harvest results are bright wines with lovely delicate colours and wonderful flavours. 

As we shifted to Autum, March was challenged with several looming weather fronts providing some untimely rainfall. Whilst this is a stressful event for grape growers and winemakers in the ripening season, often, these weather events have a positive effect. Rainfall reinvigorated the vines and prolonged their hang time allowing more development of tannins and colours. As the soils dried harvest shifted gears and red varietals began to be picked. Shiraz, Grenache, Counoise, Carignan and Mataro followed the harvest window from Hillside at Lyndoch South of the Barossa through Rowland Flat, then Marananga, Seppeltsfield, Greenock and Ebenezer to the North before concluding at the end of April in Eden Valley.

With last of the 2026 vintage red wines from Torbreck to be pressed off shortly, we can report with some excitement on the wines already in barrel. The key varietals of Shiraz Grenache and Mataro show immense depth of colour, with substantial tannin. The flavours are deep and the texture of the wines are layered with structure and cellaring potential.

We look forward to sharing a Torbreck wine with you soon,

Ian Hongell
Chief Winemaker