16 Sep What to expect from the 2026 Vintage at Dominio de Berzal

Some summers feel different from the very first day, and this has been one of them. The heat arrived early and stayed, putting increasing pressure on the vineyards week after week. Along with it came a decision we did not take lightly: bringing the harvest forward.

A Summer That Put the Vineyard to the Test

High temperatures speed everything up. Sugars concentrate in the grapes sooner, acidity drops faster than usual, and the ripening clock moves forward by several weeks compared to other years. It may seem like a setback, and in some ways it is: it means changing plans, reorganising the work, and paying closer attention than ever. But heat is not the enemy of the vineyard; it is simply another condition we have to work with, just as we work with slopes, stone or wind. The land never gives us a break, and this year even less so than usual.

Finding the Right Moment by Watching Closely

Bringing the harvest forward does not mean picking earlier simply for the sake of it. It means being in the vineyard every day, plot by plot, vine by vine, observing how every corner responds to the heat. Because even with high temperatures, not everything ripens at the same pace: some slopes move ahead, others hold their ground, and old vines follow their own rhythm regardless of what the thermometer says.

That constant, almost stubborn attention is what has allowed us to harvest the grapes at exactly the right moment — not a day earlier or later than they themselves called for. It is work that may not be visible in the bottle, but it is there in every one of them.

What This Vintage Promises

Grapes harvested at exactly the right moment, with sugar, acidity and aromas in balance, provide the best possible foundation for a wine. And that is what we have this year: healthy, carefully tended grapes that have reached their optimum point despite a summer that has not made things easy.

There is still a long way to go, and the work in the winery will have the final say. But the starting point for the 2026 vintage leaves us with very good feelings.

Follow the Harvest with Us

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing updates on how the vintage progresses: day-to-day life in the vineyard, some myths about how grapes are harvested today that are worth debunking, and how the landscape changes as the harvest moves forward.

If you would like to experience this heat-shaped vintage up close, follow us on our social media channels.