Stories

The 2026 Harvest

The 2026 harvest reflects an exceptionally early growing season, with picking beginning particularly early across the Bordeaux region. For Nathalie Bassot-Dworkin, Clarendelle’s œnologist and Director of Operations, this unprecedented timetable points towards a particularly promising vintage.

In Pessac, the first white grapes were harvested as early as 10 August. Grapes destined for the rosé wines followed around 25 August, before the first Merlot for the red wines was picked from mid-September onwards.

An Approach Driven by Excellence

Clarendelle is built on a distinctive approach to wine, founded on careful selection and blending. Inspired by the great Champagne houses, Clarendelle works with a network of partner winegrowers, selecting each year the plots and grapes that best reflect its vision and signature style.

This freedom allows Clarendelle to shape its wines in harmony with the character of each vintage, with a constant focus on balance, elegance and consistency. Over the years, strong relationships of trust have been forged with its partner winegrowers, some of whom have worked alongside Clarendelle since its creation in 2005, under the guidance of Nathalie Bassot-Dworkin.

These long-standing collaborations are essential, providing both an in-depth understanding of the terroirs and the precision required for each blend.

“The harvest conditions were ideal, with plenty of sunshine and warmth and no disease pressure. The cool nights provided the perfect contrast to the warmth of the days, helping to accelerate ripening.

The fermenting juices we have tasted for the Clarendelle Rosé and White are already showing great fruit and aromatic intensity, together with lovely freshness and acidity. The signs are extremely promising.”

Nathalie Bassot-Dworkin, Clarendelle’s Director of Operations and Œnologist