An update from Camille Gaïo, Director of Winemaking at Taplin Cellars

Every vintage has its own personality, and 2026 is proving to be a year of contrasts. While overall yields are lower than we would have hoped, the quality of the fruit has been exceptional.

With fermentation behind us and the wines settling into barrel, we’re entering one of the most thoughtful stages of the winemaking process. Here’s a look at where things stand and what we’re watching in the months ahead.

Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc: Letting Each Block Speak

This vintage, we fermented and barreled every block separately, including our Cabernet Franc. Keeping these lots distinct gives us the opportunity to understand the unique character of each vineyard block before deciding how they will ultimately come together.

Once malolactic fermentation is complete, which we anticipate in January, we’ll begin tasting through the individual barrels. These tastings are an important part of the process, allowing us to evaluate each lot’s structure, depth, and overall expression before making final blending decisions.

One question we’ll be exploring is whether a portion of the Ghost Creek Cabernet Sauvignon should be incorporated into Terra 9. These decisions are guided by what each wine brings to the table and how we can best express the character of our vineyards. Our goal is always to create wines that are distinctive, balanced, and true to their origins.

Sauvignon Blanc: A Vintage with Added Depth

Our Sauvignon Blanc is aging on its lees through February, and this vintage is already showing a different side of the variety.

The warmer growing season and later harvest have contributed noticeably more depth and texture than we saw in the 2025 vintage. We’re excited by the added dimension and are giving the wine the time it needs to develop further before its next steps.

Melinda’s Rosé: A Beautiful Expression of the Vintage

In the cellar, our Rosé is showing beautifully. One particularly exciting development has been the contribution from the newly replanted blocks at Ghost Creek. Their fruit has brought meaningful depth to the wine, adding another layer of character to a vintage we’re already very pleased with.

We’re planning to bottle the Rosé in February, and we look forward to sharing more about this wine as it continues to develop.

Looking Ahead

There is still plenty of work ahead before these wines are ready to leave the cellar, and some of the most important decisions are yet to come. The coming months will bring barrel tastings, blending trials, and a clearer picture of how each wine will ultimately take shape.

Although this is a smaller harvest in terms of volume, the quality we’re seeing gives us every reason to be excited. For now, we’ll continue to taste, evaluate, and let the wines tell us what they need.

That’s one of the things I love most about winemaking: every vintage offers something new to learn, and the best results come from paying attention along the way.

— Camille Gaïo, Director of Winemaking, Taplin Cellars