Vintage Report
“Higher degrees, lower yields… but an exceptional vintage.”
After several years marked by extremes, 2025 will be remembered as a vintage that rewarded precision, anticipation and resilience in the vineyard. Following the frost-ravaged 2021 harvest, the drought-affected but generous 2022, the plentiful 2023 and the exceptionally difficult, low-yielding 2024, growers across the Loire entered the 2025 growing season hoping above all for stability. What emerged is not a uniformly abundant vintage, but one of striking quality, clarity and balance – and, in many respects, one of the most convincing and remarkable Loire vintages of the last decade.
The 2025 growing season was shaped primarily by heat and drought. Warm and dry conditions during flowering led to coulure in many vineyards, naturally limiting yields at an early stage. The summer remained largely dry, with water stress evident in a number of regions, particularly on younger vines and lighter soils. However, unlike other hot vintages of the past, 2025 benefited from consistently cool night-time temperatures, which proved crucial in preserving acidity, aromatic definition and freshness in the grapes. As a result, while sugar accumulation was rapid, phenolic ripeness progressed steadily and evenly, allowing growers to harvest fruit with excellent balance.
One of the most striking aspects of 2025 is the exceptional sanitary condition of the grapes. Disease pressure was extremely low across the valley, and many growers reported some of the cleanest fruit they have ever brought into the cellar. This dramatically reduced the need for sorting and allowed for very gentle extraction and precise vinification. A clear pattern also emerged during the season: those who worked their soils diligently were often the most successful. By limiting competition from grass between the rows, vines were better able to access scarce water resources, helping to maintain vine balance and avoid excessive stress. In a year of limited rainfall, viticultural decisions made earlier in the season proved decisive.
Harvest in 2025 was both exceptionally early and remarkably rapid. Picking began in Muscadet as early as 21st August and, in most appellations, was completed by mid-September. Reds in Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur Champigny were largely finished by the end of September, and by early October almost all harvesting across the Loire – including moelleux and late-picked styles – was complete. This makes 2025 one of the earliest harvests on record. Despite the compressed timeframe, conditions during harvest were generally favourable, allowing growers to pick at optimum maturity and retain control over style and balance.
Stylistically, 2025 marks a return to more classic Loire expressions after the unusually low-alcohol 2024 vintage. Alcohol levels are higher and more in line with a warm year, but they are exceptionally well integrated. The whites show purity, aromatic intensity and precision, supported by strong tartaric structure that preserves freshness even where total acidity is moderate. The reds, particularly Cabernet Franc, are a standout of the vintage: colour is deep, tannins are ripe and supple, and the wines combine generosity of fruit with a distinctly “ligérien” sense of freshness. Pinot Noir also performed extremely well in 2025, delivering wines of concentration and vibrancy that promise both early approachability and ageing potential.
Yields in 2025 are generally down across the Loire, most commonly by 10–30%, as a direct result of coulure, drought and, in isolated cases, hail. While this is not a catastrophic shortfall, it comes after the very small 2024 harvest and therefore places additional pressure on availability in several key appellations. In regions where global demand already exceeds supply, this is likely to create tension, and allocations may be tighter than usual. In this context, long-standing partnerships and consistent relationships will be more important than ever. Encouragingly, where volumes are reduced, the concentration and quality of the wines more than compensate.
Auvergne throughout November and December, tasting the new vintage, finalising bespoke blends for selected customers and confirming volumes and pricing for 2026. This two-month process, which lasted until Christmas, preceeds and enables the publication of our new catalogue in early January 2026. We are also acutely aware of the impact of UK duty increases linked to alcohol levels. While 2025 wines are naturally higher in alcohol than those of 2024, we have worked closely with our producers to limit ABV increases wherever possible – typically to +0.5%, and only in rare cases up to +1% - in order to mitigate the effect on pricing and maintain accessibility for the end consumer.
In conclusion, the 2025 Loire Valley vintage is defined by quality rather than quantity. It is a vintage of concentration without excess, ripeness without heaviness and freshness without austerity. The wines show precision, energy and complexity, reflecting both favourable natural conditions and the increasingly thoughtful vineyard practices of our growers. After the challenges of recent years, 2025 offers a welcome sense of equilibrium and stands as a compelling reminder of the Loire Valley’s ability to produce wines of elegance, character and balance even in the face of climatic extremes. We look forward to sharing these wines with you and are confident they will deliver immense pleasure, both on release and for many years to come.
Santé !