The harvest season has begun! The work in the vineyards is boiling: the success of the entire vintage often depends on when and how to harvest. What has this year been like for winemakers?

In terms of weather, the year 2025 was, to put it mildly, extraordinary from the start. In many regions, heat waves, droughts, natural disasters, all of which winemakers had to respond to.

- UK

It's been a dry and warm summer in the UK, and as The Guardian reports, British vintners are in for a vintage with excellent grape ripening and early harvesting, which is especially important for the high phenolic characteristics of the wine.

Usually everyone is talking about British sparkling wines, thanks to the legendary Nyetimber and Gusbourne farms. They have long set the right tone in this segment.

But 2025 could present collectors with a chance to invest in England's first truly great still wines, which will become a marker of sorts for the entire region. A warm and dry summer has provided the grapes with a vibrant concentration of flavors and ideal maturity for still wines. Future Chardonnays from Kent and Sussex will be comparable to prestigious Burgundies.

- France

In France, the heat wave forced winemakers to start picking a few weeks earlier than usual, and instead of the traditional September-October, picking began in August. In some areas, temperatures rose above 40°C, and sometimes they had to act very quickly to avoid losing the precious and delicate balance of ripeness, acidity and potential alcohol levels in the berries. For less experienced farms, this was a real problem: the risks of too high sugar levels with insufficient acidity could turn the wines into heavy and unbalanced wines.

Leading producers have managed to wait until the berries have reached phenolic maturity while maintaining freshness. In Chablis, Jean-Marc Brocard's Jean-Marc Brocard winery received a crop of Chardonnay with high minerality and a clean acid line, and this is an ideal base for storage. In the Côte de Beaune wine region, Domaine Leflaive's Domaine Leflaive from Puligny-Montrachet celebrated a rare combination of rich texture and citrus freshness. These wines are also sure to be sought after by collectors, as they are destined for a long life in the cellars.

On the left bank of Bordeaux, the heat often made cabernet too dense, with high alcohol levels, but on the right bank, where merlot and cabernet franc varieties dominate, the grapes, on the contrary, are better "balanced". Here, Château Canon and Château Figeac stand out in particular, which have managed to maintain a classic harmony. The former promises elegance and velvety tannins, while the latter promises a complex aromatic palette with notes of wild berries and fresh herbs. I'm a big fan of the "long-lived" Bordeaux and will definitely have some in store for myself.

- Spain

In Spanish Rioja, conditions in the Alta sub-region were particularly successful. Here, cool nights have helped to preserve acidity, while warm days have provided deep maturity. La Rioja Alta and CVNE make wines that promise a classic style: refined, with spicy and tobacco nuances, balanced and with good aging potential. Such samples will be particularly appreciated by those who love Spanish classics.

- Italy

In Italy, the first grapes began to be harvested in Sicily as early as the end of July: in Trapani the harvest returned to normal levels, about 70-90 quintals (1 quintal equals 100 kg) per hectare, and the harvest began earlier than usual.

The wineries Planeta and Donnafugata are rejoicing at the return to normal yields after several difficult years. Their Nero d'Avola and Frappato wines will be particularly good in the medium term and will unfold in 5-7 years.

In Piedmont, Barolo and Barbaresco promise us dense flavors, with bright tannins and preserved acidity. One of the region's leaders, Gaja and Pio Cesare, have already announced that their 2025 wines will be produced in limited batches and are designed for long aging. This is a reason to buy them for your collection as soon as they come on the market, and their prices are sure to rise.

- New World

Finally, in the New World, Don Melchor winery from Chile has already called 2025 "one of the best years in a decade" - winter rains and an even climate cycle contributed to an outstanding harvest. "The combination of balanced vine growth, phenolic maturity and ideal weather conditions resulted in wines with great character, elegance and aging potential," said Enrique Tirado, head and technical director of Viña Don Melchor.

"Cabernet Sauvignon from the Puente Alto terroir is characterized by a particular depth of flavor and harmony, between fruit power and elegant structure. These wines will become an important element in collections, especially for those who follow the development of the Chilean winemaking school on a global level.

It's too early to make predictions in California, especially when it comes to Napa and Sonoma. The harvest has just begun, and the main threat to it is the Pickett Fire wildfire, which threatens the appearance of a smoke "canopy". Winemakers are especially cautious: the effects of smoke on grapes are difficult to predict, and lab analyses are still ongoing.

Global reports from wine broker Ciatti have previously stated that Australia and New Zealand have had a good harvest this year, especially white grapes.

Overall, winemakers in many regions have done well in 2025. The 2025 vintage is uneven, but that's what makes it so interesting to collectors.

It is worth paying attention to Burgundy and Bordeaux (right bank), where experienced farms have created wines with the potential to open for 15-20 years. The UK may surprise with the first "quiet" world-class Chardonnays. In Italy, Sicily gave brightness, while Piedmont gave structure and long aging. Rioja has retained its signature power and Chilean winemakers have reasserted their strength in producing great cabernets. For those looking for wines to store in their home collection, these are the regions and estates that should be a priority when shopping for interesting bottles of the 2025 vintage.

I, for one, will be very interested to do a full tasting of the 2025 vintage from these regions in a few years and see if the predictions are correct.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor

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