Harvest 2025 was fast...
It was a very quick burst harvest - less than two weeks between the first and last picks and all over by 29th September. Last year it was the very end of October.
I'm pretty sure that producers will look back on 2025 as a banner year both in terms of yield and quality. Those of us who have been in the game long enough would say the standout years for both quality and yield are 2014, 2018 & 2022. More recent producers would say 2023 but while I think that was a good year for yield, it was variable on quality unless you really worked hard as we did - others, focused just on yield, say it was the best.
So how does 2025 compare?
Currently, I'd place it alongside 2022 in terms of quality (absolute textbook sugars & acids) and 2018 in terms of yield. As you know, we don't care much about yield so long as the quality is there. Normally we cut off and throw away 30-50% of grapes by way of a green harvest in July to make sure we have the best - this year 50-75%.
AND IT WORKED !!! We still harvested enough for c. 25,000 bottles which is at the top of our current sweet spot (maximum if we were prepared to use all grapes would be 40 - 45,000).
Huge thanks to the volunteers!
Here is just one of the pictures but the volunteers went above and beyond. The volunteers alone picked all the Chardonnay from the Church Block in a little over one morning (OK Ollie - will tell you more about him another time - refused to let them stop for lunch till they'd finished...).
We had the usual team of "professionals" and they all worked very hard as well - kudos!
Send us a note via our Contact Us page if you're interested in joining our growing team of volunteers that get involved and support us throughout the year.
Winemaking
So now it's over to winemaking and we will not be foot treading - especially dressed - or undressed - like that!
Our current expectation is we will produce the wines listed below with their likely release dates:
- A Classic Cuvée - release date 2032
- A Sparkling Rosé - release date 2029
- A Church Block SR - release date 2038
- A Blanc des Blancs - release date 2032
- A Blancs de Noir - release date 2032
The last one would be the first we have done but the Pinot Noir this year is exceptional.
If you're feeling like that's a long wait - head to our shop to browse our Current Releases available to buy.
As regards still wines...
We don't make them - yet - and there's a reason for that but I do think this is a year when you will be able to find good still English white & rosé wines - and maybe some reds if you like the fresh style. Better than 2024 for sure.
Personally I don't drink English still red but that's probably because my pallet has hardened to Bordeaux & Burgundy over many years: I prefer their "meatier" style.
What was the rest of the year like?
Well, while it was hot, I'm pleased to say it wasn't so hot that we had to adopt the approach of this fine specimen.
We did have frost but it only affected 12 vines (genuinely, I counted them). That's not to say I wasn't running around all night on a few occasions, lighting fires, cursing the cold but also pausing to stop in wonder as dawn broke and the natural world came to life with geese flying over, pheasant ruffling their feathers, rabbit squinting in the new light and deer looking curiously at me. It really is a magical time of day and I can't recommend it highly enough. Email me to enjoy this sublime and life changing experience during the frost season and I'll get you signed up pronto...
The rest of the year was oh so dry with tens of centimetres (or feet for those of you my age) less rain than last year. And no, we never have to water.
One bonus from the dry weather was that the weeds didn't grow so quickly and those that did we hit hard with a combination of our new under-vine weeder and, before that, swinging a strimmer between each vine - so much better than gym work, so do email me direct if you'd like to experience the All Angels exercise routine...
Another was the absence of disease. We really kept on top of it this year and the fact that everything we grew was disease free (probably the first time ever) is testament to the effort.
It was a tough year though - we worked so hard and had to compress everything into one less month but it's proved worthwhile.
Going forward
Still lots to do and no rest even though we've gained a month. More on that another time.