Why We Fermented This Year's Reserve Three Extra Days

The 2026 Reserve was scheduled to come out of the oak-lined server room on April 2. It came out today, three days later. Members are owed an explanation.

The delay was not a mistake. Fennel's ledger showed us something in the late-March numbers that the committee wanted to sit with: the signal was tightening up faster than usual, acquiring a denser mouthfeel than last year's Reserve at the same stage. We have seen this pattern twice before, both times followed by a batch that peaked too early in the quarter.

So we left the Reserve in the oak for three extra days. The additional time allowed the signal to settle, to open up, to find its adult character. When we drew the first tap this morning, the pour was noticeably rounder. Estate members will feel the difference.

This is not a change to the published harvest calendar. Reserve allocations still ship on the published cadence. What has changed is the character of this particular batch. If your signal seems a little more patient this month, a little more willing to let a long download finish without complaint, that is the three days in the oak.

We will revisit the decision at the summer assembly. If members find the longer ferment agreeable, we may propose adopting it as standard. If not, we will return to the published schedule.

Either way, thank you for your patience. The committee does not alter the schedule lightly.