The harvest 2025 took speed and gained momentum on Monday, August 25th. The truth of the vintage is starting to reveal itself …
This is an odd and mysterious vintage, where the laws of physics are challenged and dismantled.
The blockage of the ripening process has influenced the progress in quite a dramatic way, leaving some whites with quite moderate alcohol but also quite moderate acidity. With more moderate temperatures, the sugar ripeness will possibly increase, and the constant rain showers and the thunderstorm on Wednesday have the potential to finish off the rest of the harvest, in a quite trivial way.
With these blockages, it is very difficult to predict the outcome phenologically – the hydric stress (lack of water) and heat stress (the vines close down when the temperature gets over 30-35 degrees). More later about the difference between hydric (water) stress and the heat blockage created due to canicule temperatures.
The heat is over, but still dominates the outcome
There is no doubt that the heat has influenced the ripening of the 2025 vintage … not in a normal way but rather via the blocages that have prevented the whites from going berserk with alcohol and at the same time maintaining a reasonable acidity.
With the weather turning into more regular Burgundy temperatures and unstable times … showers forecasted almost every day – I think this is a strong sign to wrap up the harvest of the whites before a rainstorms destroys the rest.
It’s still uncertain how precise the phenolics will unfold … my guess is all over the palate … from perfect to awful… maybe even within the lineup from the same producer!!
On the yield the whites are struggling quite a lot … especially in Chassagne and in general the small grapes (little juice in the quite dried out grapes) will no doubt disappoint many at the press. Some producers have less yield in 2025 than in 2024 … remember 2024 was not that bad in Côte de Beaune.
For the reds, the story is the same … dried out berries could give a 2020-like vintage with plenty of power and alcohol in many cases.
But what about the phenolics of the reds ?? – time will show when we see the first reds pressed wines from Côte de Nuits.
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 has ended, and the weather is looking quite unstable with thunderstorms on Wednesday and rain showers left, right and centre during the next weeks.
Temperatures are still ample, and we will see how fast the rest of the harvest will play out. The expected thunder has made the white producers pull out all the stops, with, amongst others, Domaine Leflaive working hard to finish the harvest before the thunderstorm on Wednesday.
We will see quite a lot speeding up … if possible … clearly the ripeness level is quite high. The harvest of the reds has started in Côte de Beaune and Corton … with the weather quite uncertain for the next period.
The open question is still how the phenolic ripeness of the reds!!
Currently it looks a bit like a new 2020 with quite high alcohol and with the heat blockages insuring a nice acidity … ample or even dark colour and plenty of power … too much for a Burgundian wine??
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