Vintage 2026 @ RIKARD: let’s do it - first pick and press.
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Vintage 2026 @ RIKARD: first pick, harvest has commenced.
A perfect morning at our La Cloche vineyard picking P58 Clone Chardonnay. A small crop of high quality fruit which we’ll use for sparkling base.

#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines #rikardsparkling #orangewineregion ...#vintage2026

Protecting the Pinot @ RIKARD: the grapes are ripening nicely - so say the birds!
There will be no avian lunch to be had here at our La Cloche vineyard… We’re bringing out the nets.
Every grape is sacred!

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Almost vintage @ RIKARD: we’re just past veraison in our La Cloche vineyard.

The vast majority of the fruit have now developed some colour and are accumulating sugar. Despite the dry conditions, everything looks really healthy and we’re headed for a high quality harvest.

...This is MV6 clone of Pinot Noir. Known for its thicker skins and higher acid, in our region it provides sour cherry characters, fresh acid backbone and a bit of tannin structure. It’s one of 6 clones in our arsenal of components and we’re looking forward to #vintage2026

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Lab days @ RIKARD: the UV is high in the last ripening days of summer, so we’ve retreated to the lab.

A final look at the 2024 Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Malbec before preparing them for bottling. This is our last chance to make any micro adjustments... though the feeling in the room ...is that they’re spot-on and ready to go as is. We call this active decision making to do nothing - also known as #minimalintervention

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VINTAGE 2026 PREPARATION @ RIKARD: it’s looking like harvest will commence mid-February and we’re in full winery prep mode. Clearing space, emptying tanks by bottling wines, cleaning and tinkering - there’s much to do.
Winemaking is as much a science as it is an art and in these pics, our... assistant winemaker Tim, has made preparation look like art too.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR @ RIKARD: we’re loving these hot summer days bringing in the new year and so it this Riesling, looking very good for vintage 2026.

From tomorrow, 8th Jan, our tasting room at the winery is open from 2pm. Taste the 2023 RIKARD Riesling - newly released sparkling wines and ...full range of RIKARD wines including Black labels.

Book online, call ahead or show up! We’re looking forward to seeing you. 🥂

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SUMMER IS FOR SPARKLING @ RIKARD: Happy New Year!
Introducing our second release of RIKARD Cuveé, a non-vintage utilising two different Chardonnay portions from the 2018 vintage and with approximately 30% museum, solera base wine.

At this point, the solera was made up of some of the... 2016 cuvee and approximately 75% Mariafeld clone Pinot Noir from 2017.

The base wines all had 10 to 12 months in old French Oak barriques for fermentation, with periodic batonage before blending. This approach is very much in the ‘grower’ style and adds a lovely savoury, nutty complexity to the otherwise bright fruit and acid.

A further five years en tirage adds more layers of textural interest, bringing pastry and nutty characters into the mix.

Colour is pale yellow and straw. The nose shows a lovely strong brioche and pastry characters intertwined with hazelnut. There’s a freshness to the fruit – citrus, ripe pear and red apple and a hint of white strawberries. Then other complexities - bruised apple, water-crackers and some minerality.

A lively acid line runs on the palate from start to finish which is tingly but not sharp. Saline and biscuity, it’s got minerality and drive. There’s a bit of nougat and praline also. Mid-palate comes from stone-fruit, honeysuckle and strawberry characters, a bit of apple. The finish returns to savoury with a lovely nutty aspect of hazelnuts and walnuts. Dry and precise.

Available online (link in bio) and at the cellar door.

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Festive break @ RIKARD: happy holidays!
We’re taking a short break and the winery is closed for tastings from 22nd Dec.
We’ll return on Thursday 8th Jan from 2pm.

Buy wines or book ahead your tasting online. Link in bio.

Wishing you all a safe and merry holiday, ...cheers to vintage 2026 ahead! 🥂

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