Pikes Polish Hill River 2026: The Last Pick

We picked our last Estate fruit on Friday 17 April. Mourvèdre for The Assemblage.

Always a nice moment to close things out, but this year feels a bit different.

The season really started back in November with that frost. We lost 70–80% of our estate crop, so from that point it became about working out how we could still put together the wines we want to make.

We’ve been lucky to have great support from our growers. Some we’ve worked with for a long time, and a few new ones who have come into the fold this year.

Because of that we’ve been able to secure some really good fruit.

The growing season did not get much easier after the frost, with very little rain, and a couple of extreme heat events in the weeks leading up to harvest.

We commenced harvest on 16 February, which is back in line with recent history, but 3 weeks earlier than last year.

Then just as we got into harvest, the rain turned up and made things even more ‘interesting’.

A lot of it came down to judgement. Do you go early and protect what you’ve got, or hang on and hope you get that extra bit of ripeness through? Some parcels came in ahead of the rain and they look fantastic.

Others were tighter calls, picking in short windows, watching things closely as a bit of disease pressure crept in late.

The team were making those calls day to day with what was in front of them (and I’m not sure the forecasts helped much this year).

They got it right very consistently. I’m really proud of how everyone handled it, from the vineyard through to the winery, and our growers as well.

I walked the cellar with Steve and Dad yesterday and it was a good moment.

Every tank, every barrel, was holding up. There wasn’t anything you’d point at and say that’s fallen short. Given the season, that’s no small thing.

What it really underlined was that heathy vineyards with good canopy and fruit balance are extremely resilient.

The wines are looking clean, balanced and very true to site. Riesling, Cabernet and Grenache in particular are showing really well already.

For our most important wine, Traditionale Riesling, volume will be down, probably around 25%, but the quality is there.

We all know it’s not the easiest time out there at the moment, especially in wine.

The support we get from people who buy and drink our wines directly means a lot.

It’s what allows us to keep focusing on farming properly and making wines that reflect where they come from.

Ultimately, I feel that a bottle of wine, shared amongst friends is a small escape from the mundane, the chaos, and stress that is life today.

Thanks for sticking with us,

We don’t take it lightly.

Cheers

Jamie Pike