Cooks Lot is celebrating what is shaping up to be one of its best vintages in recent memory, with early indications pointing to exceptional quality and strong varietal expression across the board for 2026.
The season opened with a brief scare, as frost and hail affected parts of the high-altitude Orange region early on. However, the impact on vine health and crop levels proved minimal, and conditions soon stabilised to allow excellent canopy development and steady, balanced ripening through the rest of the growing season.
“We had a moment of concern early on with both frost and hail affecting parts of the region, but thankfully those events were short-lived and only had a minimal impact on vine health and crop levels,” said Duncan Cook, Owner and Winemaker at Cooks Lot. “From there, conditions stabilised and we had excellent canopy development and steady, balanced ripening right through the season.”
Harvest got underway on 13 March with Pinot Gris, picked overnight to lock in its natural aromatics, freshness and delicate texture. Pinot Noir followed on 17 March, showing strong colour development and finely structured fruit, with a beautifully clean and precise Riesling coming in the following morning.
“Harvest started on the 13th of March with Pinot Gris, which we picked in the cool of the night to preserve its natural aromatics, freshness and delicate texture. That set the tone for a carefully managed, quality-focused harvest. Our Pinot Noir came in on the 17th, showing excellent colour development and finely structured fruit, and the next morning we brought in a beautifully clean and precise Riesling that already had the purity and line we look for from this site,” Mr Cook said.
Intermittent rain in late March extended the picking window for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, both eventually harvested on 26 March. While the rain demanded patience and careful fruit selection, it ultimately contributed to excellent flavour concentration, balance, vibrancy and natural acidity in both varieties.
The later-ripening Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon took a slower path, building depth and complexity under cool-climate conditions before being picked on 7 April, with the extended hang time at altitude paying off in the fruit’s structure and intensity.
“The Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon were more measured in their development, slowly building depth and complexity under our cool-climate conditions. At over 900 metres elevation, achieving full phenolic ripeness in our red varieties is always a challenge, but the extended hang time worked in our favour this year. Those parcels came off on the 7th of April, showing excellent structure, refined tannins and real promise,” Mr Cook said.
Mr Cook said the vintage was shaping up to be defined by finesse rather than power.
“The 2026 vintage really reflects the strengths of a cool-climate, high-altitude site managed with care and precision. The season rewarded patience and good timing, and we’re seeing purity, balance and fine detail right across the board. If these early samples are anything to go by, 2026 will be remembered for its elegance, clarity and harmonious expression rather than sheer power. It’s been a challenging season in parts, but ultimately a really rewarding one,” he said.