The harvest 2025 began yesterday, 17th of August 2025, in Meursault, where, amongst others, Camille et Guilliaume Boillot harvested Meursault Gouttes d’Or at a potential alcohol of 13,8%
Harvest has begun … and the ripeness level shows that it is time to start … 13,8% is close to perfect … but one would not want to wait many days …
The heat
There is no doubt that the heat has influenced the ripening of the 2025 vintage, but with temperatures dropping 10 degrees on Wednesday, it would be rash to jump to very firm conclusions.
Yes, there are some of the grapes that suffered from sunburn, and yes, the alcohol levels are pretty high already …. although not alarmingly high in all places.
Volnay Mitan was 12,2% potential alcohol on Friday, Volnay Santenots 12,6 on Saturday, and a Corton on the southern side of the Corton hill was gracing the 13,0 – 13,5% band – and this with a little more than a week to harvest. Last we see that Meursault Gouttes d’Or was harvested at 13,8 yesterday … proving it is about time.
I think we can conclude that it will not be a low alcohol vintage, and most likely we will see wines at the 14% range …. or even beyond!
This is more than preferred… but sometimes the wine in the glass have the abillity to hide the high alcohol in mysterious ways.
The question now is therefore rather if the acidity and the pH level are doing after the big Canicule … we will see … when the analysis in the labs is done. And is the phenolics ready …
I prefer to take the optimistic view and see how the wines express the year and the terroir. Just think of the terrible state the grapes were in 2021 and 2024 … these wines turned out pretty good!!!
Harvest time …
| Forecast date | Harvest Côte de Beaune | Harvest Côte de Nuits |
| May 28th | August 20th | August 25th |
| June 29th | August 22th | August 25th |
| July 27th | August 25th | August 25th |
| August 12th | August 22th | August 25th |
| August 13th | August 20th | August 25th |
| August 17th | August 17th |
Weather and progress
The Canicule will end on Wednesday, and the temperatures have already dropped somewhat.
Temperatures at 23 – 25 degrees are still ample, and we will see how fast the rest of the harvest will play out.
My feeling is that we will see quite a lot speeding up … if possible … clearly the ripeness level is quite high, and in hot vineyards I expect to see the first reds harvested already this week.
The open question is how the phenolic ripeness of the reds!!
Ready?
Yesterdays Harvest View
Harvest articles
- Harvest 2025 – the final vibe
- Harvest 2025 – More Rain …
- Harvest 2025 – And then came the rain
- Harvest 2025 – Full steam ahead in the south
- Harvest 2025 – rain and chapter 2
- Harvest 2025 – Start August 17th … new record
- Planning the harvest – a challenge in 2025
- Harvest 2025 – harvest now?!
- Harvest 2025 #3 – At a record-breaking speed
- Harvest 2025 – #J-14 – Harvest News 2-2025
- Harvest 2025 – #J-15 – the catch-25
- Harvest 2025 – #J-15 – Harvest News 1-2025
Contact – mail me a tip or a photo
Send me an email – if you have some harvest news
- A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion
- A truly hedonistic wine – lively and enjoyable
- A vivacious wine for pure indulgance
- A potential vin d´émotion - frais et léger
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