Harvest Review: 2025

Now that everything’s been picked and is happily fermenting away, it’s the perfect time to look back at what turned out to be a truly memorable harvest with Head Winemaker David Brocklehurst...

Head Winemaker David Brocklehurst

Budburst arrived right on schedule in spring, setting the tone for a promising year. Late spring into early summer brought frequent warm, dry spells, encouraging fast, healthy growth across the vineyards.

Flowering, which we usually expect around late June or early July, (or as we like to say, around Wimbledon!) was mostly complete by mid-June for the majority of varieties. The weather during this crucial period was excellent, leading to strong pollination. After a few years of unpredictable flowering and inconsistent yields, it was a real relief to have such favourable conditions.

Budburst

Flowering

The rest of the summer followed suit, with plenty of warmth and much less rain than we typically expect. For our own vineyards, this meant lower-than-usual disease pressure, which made vineyard management smoother than in more challenging years.
​
That said, not every region was so lucky. Some vineyards further to the southeast were hit by outbreaks of powdery and downy mildew, resulting in significant yield losses.

Our Seaton Vineyard

Just as everything seemed too good to be true, the weather turned. Early September brought cooler conditions and bouts of rain, reminding us that no vintage is ever without its surprises!

Harvest began on 2nd September and ran through to 20th October, finishing with our Riesling.

Overall, fruit quality was outstanding. Despite excellent pollination, there were fewer bunches per vine than usual, and the dry summer produced smaller berries - meaning higher sugar levels and beautifully concentrated flavours.

Pinot Noir was a real standout this year, achieving fantastic ripeness and colour. We’ve actually got the largest volume of Pinot Noir ever destined for red wine! Bacchus also looks excellent, showing those classic gooseberry and elderflower aromatics we love.

As always, we couldn’t resist a few small-batch experiments. This year includes an orange wine made from Muscat, a dry-style Riesling, and a tiny amount of Pinot Meunier - usually pressed for sparkling, but this time fermented on the skins as a red.

It’s still early days, with only a few ferments finished, but overall we are excited at the potential shown, from what could be an exceptional vintage.