From the vineyard to the winery to the big picture — Robyn, Scott and Allan share what 2026 really asked of them, and what the site gave back.

Every vintage tells a story. The 2026 vintage at Helen’s Hill tells one worth sitting with.

January broke a rainfall record that had stood since 1939. The vines had less water than any season in living memory. Yields were down, significantly. By almost every measure of abundance, 2026 had no business delivering the kind of fruit that arrived at the winery.

And yet, here we are.

We sat down with three people who know this site better than anyone — Robyn in the vineyard, Scott in the winery, and Allan with an eye on the bigger picture — to hear what 2026 really felt like from the inside. This is the harvest diary in their words.

Robyn — Viticulturist & Owner

Looking back on this year’s harvest, how would you describe the season in the vineyard?

It was a challenging year, and easily the driest we have experienced at Helen’s Hill. Despite the lack of rain and minimal irrigation, the vines surprised us all by ripening fruit with great balance and flavour. It was also one of our smallest vintages to date, with tonnes per hectare well down — making it one of our smallest production years in the winery since we started.

How did the timing of harvest compare with last year?

Vintage was quite a bit later than the 2025 vintage, but more in line with what we’ve seen over the past ten years. Our first pick came at the end of February, rather than the middle of February as it did last year.

Were there any challenges that shaped the final fruit quality?

Despite the dry conditions, we were lucky that summer was not exceptionally hot. The vines were able to ripen the fruit with less water than usual because we had some cooler nights, and the days were not sitting in the mid to high 30s. That was the saving grace of the season.

Which blocks or varieties impressed you most by the time picking finished?

The Chardonnays. As always, Chardonnay performed again. It is a pure delight to grow this variety in the Yarra Valley. It is very forgiving and seems to adapt to whatever nature throws at it, year after year.

What do you think this vintage will be remembered for?

The dry conditions and the small volumes. It will be remembered as a year where the vineyard gave us very little fruit — but what it did give us showed excellent quality.

If this harvest had a personality, what would it be like?

“From a vineyard perspective, the personality of this vintage was that of a sulking, petulant child: ‘Don’t give me enough water, and I won’t give you any fruit.’ From a wine perspective, it was more like: ‘Look at me. Starved of water, and yet still happy to give you fruit of exceptional quality and wines that will surprise and delight you.’”

— Robyn

Scott —  Head Winemaker

What were your first impressions of the fruit as it came into the winery?

The first thing that stood out was the very low yields, mainly due to small bunch sizes and very small berry sizes. My first thoughts were that this looked like a great year for high-quality fruit, with concentrated flavours and plenty of potential.

How did this year’s fruit compare with previous vintages in terms of flavour, structure and balance?

My early observation is that this is, in fact, a high-quality vintage for the Yarra Valley. It was a season of long, slow ripening, which has given the fruit very good balance and flavour concentration. The wines are showing great structure and the potential for longevity.

Did this year’s fruit ask for any particular winemaking decisions or changes in approach?

It was a very late harvest this year, and most varieties were very slow to reach their full ripening potential. It was one of those years where you really had to hold your nerve when making harvesting decisions. We had to carefully consider acid, pH, sugar levels, flavour development, and keep a very close eye on the weather.

At this early stage, what wines or styles are you most excited to watch develop?

“Pinot Noir, for sure. There are some amazing aromatics and flavours developing, along with great acid structure and beautiful balance. These wines are looking very exciting indeed.”

— Scott

If you had to name one variety as the ‘troublemaker’ of the winery this year, which would it be?

Shiraz was definitely the troublemaker this year. It teased us with great flavour early on and kept us thinking harvest was only a few days away. However, it would take weeks before we actually sent the pickers in. There were just enough indicators that it still had more to give, so we patiently waited — playing Russian roulette with the rain — until we knew it was perfect.

We ended up harvesting it two weeks later than the Cabernet, which had everyone wondering if we had, in fact, lost the plot. But the proof is in the pudding, and the wine looks wonderful.

Allan —  Owner & Managing Director

The broader view — what this vintage means for Helen’s Hill, how it stacks up against the years, and the wines worth watching.

Looking back on this year’s harvest, what stood out to you most?

The breaking of a record set back in 1939 for the lowest January rainfall. It was very dry, which meant we were constantly watering and working hard to keep everything moving. The immense saving grace was that, while it was dry, it was not overly hot. That made a huge difference.

How did this harvest compare with previous years at Helen’s Hill?

It was the age-old fight: quantity versus quality. In this vintage, quality won hands down. Quantity was well down because of the dry weather, but the quality was very good — there just was not a lot of it. On my own vintage rating, I would have it as an 8+ for quality and a 2 for quantity.

Were there any varieties or moments that made you feel especially confident about the vintage?

I would not say I am ever truly confident about a vintage until it is in the bottle. Having said that, I was particularly pleased with the flavours in the first-picked Clone 943 Pinot Noir. That made me feel a little more confident that the dry weather had not had a detrimental effect on quality — only quantity, unfortunately.

What does harvest still mean to you, after seeing so many vintages come through Helen’s Hill?

“It means I am another year older. Each vintage is different — but this one, given the challenges of the season and the quality outcome, does give me a bit of a bounce in the step about the site. Mother Nature throws every kind of curve ball at you. It is rarely smooth sailing. But after seeing so many vintages, it is very comforting to see the final product consistently deliver top-quality wine. Each vintage has its own story, but the final pages of that story at Helen’s Hill seem to end the same way: great quality, single vineyard wine.”

— Allan

What should members be most excited about when these wines eventually make it into bottle?

More of the same — but with nuanced differences. We make wine, not cask Merlot, so there are always differences from one vintage to the next. And that is a good thing. It gives you a talking point when you are enjoying a bottle with family and friends.

That is one of the most beautiful things about wine. You might open a bottle of 2026 Long Walk Pinot Noir one day and say, ‘Remember what we were doing that summer?’ Wine is a time capsule. It triggers memories.

If you could quietly put aside one wine from this harvest for yourself, which would it be?

That is a bit like asking who my favourite child is. It is not fair. It also depends where I am, what I am eating, and who I am with. Having said that, I always have a soft spot for our Cabernets. It is such an interesting wine, and the 2026 conditions were extremely well suited to Yarra Valley Cabernet. I am very interested to see this wine in six to ten years — although at my age, I do not even buy green bananas.

What to expect

The 2026 vintage at Helen’s Hill will be remembered for what it withheld — and quietly admired for what it gave. These wines aren’t in bottle yet. But the story is already there, waiting to be opened.

Members will be the first to know when our 2026 wines are being released. Not in the club yet? Join here.