Vintage 2026: a cold year promising wines of great depth

Each vintage has its own personality. It is defined by the climate, the soil, the team’s decisions and, many times, the ability to read what the year has to say. The harvest is not over yet, but our team of agronomists is already giving us clear signals: the 2026 vintage has the profile of an exceptional year.

A year that contrasts with the previous one

Anyone who remembers the 2025 vintage will know that it was a year of intense heat. Waves of high temperatures in January and February accelerated the processes and tested the team, which responded with precision and achieved a very high quality vintage. A result that demonstrated that winemaking expertise can sustain excellence even in challenging conditions.

The 2026 vintage is its almost perfect opposite. We are facing one of the coldest years of the last decade, with unusually low temperatures and precipitation above the historical average.

What the cold gives

In viticulture, cool years have a well-earned reputation. Less accumulated heat means slower ripening, more time on the plant, more concentration of aromas and polyphenols. Rutini’s team of agronomists confirms this with their observations so far: grapes with excellent concentration, pronounced acidity, intense color and an energy that can be perceived from the vineyard.

In terms of wine, this translates into lower alcohol content, but greater depth. Long, fresh, structured wines. The type of vintage that usually gives rise to exceptional labels for cellaring.

The Uco Valley, as is often the case in cooler years, is showing particularly outstanding qualities.

Once the harvest is completed, the Rutini Wines agronomic and winemaking team will share a complete analysis of a vintage that is already surprising for its outstanding quality.