2025 will be remembered as an extraordinary vintage. Tim has handed over some truly remarkable grapes to Chris. Through his (and all of our) hard work – plus some good luck from the weather gods – we have processed grapes that our vineyard could only have dreamed of when it was planted 54 years ago. If this is our family’s last vintage here, it should be one to remember us by!

2025 started with the earliest ever harvest in our history. Pristine, incredibly ripe grapes, a full 17 days earlier than EVER.

After the short spell of rain, the grapes came in thick and fast – 55% of our crop (spread over 4 varieties) came in in just 3 weeks. Our volunteer pickers came to the rescue time and time again, we managed to pick in optimal conditions nearly every time, and Chris managed to keep his cool whilst processing a large amount over a short space of time.

Our Madeleine, Bacchus, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and soon our Kerner were all the ripest ever recorded at our vineyard.

But it’s not quite over yet. Good grapes means good fun in the winery, so we still have some grapes to press, and even some left to pick!

The majority of our Madeleine has been dedicated to an orange wine this year. Both tanks are still waiting to be pressed, and if it’s anything like our 2022 release, we’ll be very happy indeed!

For Tim, our not-yet-picked late harvest Kerner will be the jewel in his crown. Approaching 14% abv, in perfect condition – albeit with some welcome botrytis – we finally get to have a go at making a dessert wine for you all. Who’d have thought it would have come from kerner though!?

For now we’re alternating between resting, working in the winery, or doing other vineyard tasks. There are lots of things on the horizon!

Thanks for your support, and watch out for these delicious wines next year.