Taittinger reports on harvest 2025 in Champagne. [ read the full champagne story ]
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
For a connoisseur, a harvest report is more than just an account of numbers; it is the first chapter in the story of a vintage. It is a moment of anticipation, a preliminary indication of what might rest in our cellars in a few years’ time. And for 2025, the early signs are unambiguous and exceptionally promising. Following the challenges of the somewhat difficult year of 2024, 2025 stands in sharp contrast, as a vintage of sunshine, perfection, and unparalleled quality. It is a sun-ripened vintage, a so-called vintage, that is on its way to taking its place in the history books.
It is a campaign that stood out from the very beginning, not least due to its early arrival. The harvest began on August 27th in Champagne, an unusually early start that not only speaks of the sunny growing season but also of a clear trend in a warmer climate.
The Gods of Weather’s Gift: An Analysis of the Growing Season
To understand a vintage, we must first look back at the weather. 2025 was a blessed summer, where nature seemed to cooperate in perfect harmony to create optimal conditions. Unlike 2024, which was characterized by an uncertain flowering and certain challenges, 2025 was consistently sunny and dry. Isolated events like a local hailstorm in May and some cooler nights affected certain areas, but the overall climate was favorable.
The vines got to enjoy cool nights, which preserved the grapes’ natural acidity, and dry winds that kept the grape bunches in a perfectly healthy condition. The result was a grape ripeness that was both harmonious and deep. This is a crucial factor for wines that are intended to develop in the cellar.
The Numbers That Tell a Story
In the scientific world, numbers speak for themselves. The ripeness indicators for 2025 point to a vintage with both power and balance:
- Alcohol Potential: The grapes achieved an exceptional ripeness. Chardonnay reached a potential of about 11%, while Pinot Noir landed between 10.5 and 11%. Meunier was just below with 10-10.5%. This high sugar content, combined with balanced acidity, is a classic sign of a great vintage wine.
- Acid Profile: A key factor for a vintage’s quality is the composition of its acidity. In 2025, the acidity was dominated by tartaric acid, while malic acid was broken down by the high temperatures in August. This profile is ideal for a long-lived wine, as tartaric acid is more stable and gives the wine a backbone of freshness that keeps it alive for decades.
- Volume: The only negative surprise was the volume. The harvest delivered an average of 9,000 kg/ha for the entire Champagne AOC, a volume that is lower than ideal. Some growers reported that the average bunch weight was only 120-130 grams. This lower volume was the result of challenges such as poor flowering in 2024 and local hail, which affected vineyards in areas like Pierry-Chouilly.
Quality Over Quantity: What This Means for the Wine
For a collector, this information is a goldmine. A lower volume, combined with perfect health and ripeness, often signals a vintage of exceptional concentration and depth. It is a classic scenario for a great vintage, where every grape has received all the energy from the vine. The result is wines that are filled with flavor, complexity, and potential.
The must that was pressed was of perfect quality, and there was a palpable sense of calm and anticipation in the press houses. The red grapes from Verzenay, Ambonnay, Loches-sur-Ource, and Rilly-la-Montagne showed a particularly high potential for producing the rich, expressive red wines that are necessary to create a fantastic rosé.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 harvest stands as a clear testament that Champagne can deliver wines of exceptional quality. Despite a lower volume than many might have hoped for, the quality is indisputable. The high degree of ripeness, the balanced acidity, and the perfect grape health all point to a vintage that will produce wines with depth, finesse, and an incredible ability to age.
We can look forward to tasting les vins clairs (the still base wines) from this sunny year, wines that will form the foundation for the prestigious vintage Champagnes of the future. 2025 looks to be one of the greats, a vintage that will be highly sought after by collectors worldwide. It is a vintage that rewards patience, and for those of us who understand the true nature of Champagne, the wait is part of the pleasure.
