2026 – A Picture-Perfect Vintage
What a year! A wet spring was followed by a dry and exceptionally sunny summer. The vines budded early and were already in bloom by the end of May. Starting in mid-June, the persistently hot weather led to rapid grape development and, ultimately, unusually early ripening.
For us winemakers, this weather pattern meant one thing above all else: work in the vineyard was exceptionally relaxed this year. The wet start to the year initially left sufficient moisture in the soil, while at the same time conditions remained decidedly unfavorable for fungal pests as the growing season progressed; we had absolutely no problems with downy mildew or powdery mildew. Plant protection measures could be reduced to the absolute minimum.
The exceptionally hot summer – which brought back memories of 2003 – did, however, require us to adapt our vineyard work to the scorching heat. While our old, deep-rooted vines coped surprisingly well with the dry conditions, we had to support the young vines. Where natural water reserves were insufficient, we irrigated to protect the young vines from prolonged drought stress.
We also had to intervene to support the young, high-yielding vines: To relieve the vines that were not yet fully developed, we pruned away a portion of the grapes. This yield regulation (vendange verte) enabled the vines to provide optimal nourishment to the remaining grapes, allowing for remarkable ripeness and concentration to develop, even though the expected harvest volume was further reduced as a result.
It became apparent early on that the 2026 vintage would have an exceptionally early start to the harvest. The harvest began in the first week of September, 14 days earlier than the average for the past decade. Looking at the calendar, this was truly unprecedented; however, viewed in the context of the year’s progression, this timing made perfect sense: the vines had simply begun and completed their development earlier than usual.
The dry weather worked in our favor right up until the very end and throughout the entire harvest period. The grapes were in absolutely superb condition. Rot or grapes lying on the ground were not an issue. Together with our harvest team, we were able to pick the grapes from each individual plot calmly and at our own pace, based on ripeness and quality, and did not have to make any rushed decisions—a process that is by no means typical, given nature’s unpredictable weather.
As for the quality of the 2026 vintage, we can’t help but rave about it! The grapes were fully ripe, aromatic, and exceptionally concentrated. They also had surprisingly good fruit acidity for such a warm and dry year.
It is precisely this combination of high ripeness, concentration, and lively acidity that promises very
well-balanced and long-lived wines, which will also be characterized by Mosel freshness and elegance.
The conditions were also ideal for the labor-intensive selection of noble sweet specialties, right up to Trockenbeerenauslese.
Looking back at the history of Mosel vintages, we find parallels to the 1947 vintage, the “vintage of
the century” 1959, and the equally exceptional 1976 vintage. We’ll know more after tasting the first
young wines in a few weeks.
With warm regards,
Dr. Dirk und Constantin Richter