Winter Work and Vineyard Preparation
We began pruning in early December and finished around the end of March. Some plots were pruned much later, in early May, to protect them from spring frosts.
As every year, sheep were allowed to graze in the vineyard—they were much anticipated! With a very rainy winter and early spring, their presence in the vines was a great help in controlling the grass cover.
Key stages of the vine before the harvest
From budburst to flowering
Budburst (when the bud opens) began in early to mid-April. The vine then continued its cycle at a steady pace. During this time, we were busy applying treatments against downy mildew (copper) and powdery mildew (sulfur), which were particularly necessary due to the heavy rainfall. Flowering began around June 10.
From fruit set to veraison
Only 15 days later, we observed the beginning of fruit set (the formation of the grape berries). At that time, a severe heatwave took everyone by surprise, hinting at an early and warm vintage. However, July was rather cool thanks to the Mistral wind. Veraison began around July 15, without any unusual precocity. The heat returned in August, with a memorable heatwave from August 11 to 19. Ripening then suddenly accelerated, and the grapes in the plains started to show good potential alcohol levels, pointing to a harvest starting in the last week of August
Inside the 2025 Harvest
Start of the harvest and weather challenges
By the time our teams were ready, the harvest kicked off on August 29. The early days were full of surprises: intense storms (bringing a total of 280 mm of rain in September), followed by heat… and then more rain. We carefully watched for any signs of botrytis, which found perfect conditions to develop. This rapid succession of events was a humbling reminder of how small we are in the face of nature.
Vine resilience and the final harvest
Although the vintage initially promised to be early, the successive rains in September slowed the ripening process. We then witnessed the remarkable resilience of the vines: the previously small berries suddenly swelled without the skins bursting. The first Syrahs were finally harvested on September 11, followed by our old white Clairettes on September 16—the same dates as in 2024 and 2023. The last grapes came into the cellar on October 2, greeted by the delighted visitors passing through Gigondas, after five weeks of harvesting.
Congratulations to all our vineyard and cellar teams, dedicated to physically demanding and exacting work—yet immensely rewarding when, from mere grapes, we create this nectar called Wine
In the Cellar: early stages of the 2025 Vintage
Now that all the grapes are in the cellar, it’s time for winemaking. The magic of fermentation and maceration begins, gradually revealing the profile of the 2025 vintage. We taste the first juices and discover wines with lovely freshness, thanks to optimal phenolic ripeness (skins, seeds, and stems), lower alcohol levels than in other years, and developing aromatic complexity. It will take the blending and full aging of each cuvée to gain a clearer understanding of this promising vintage.