What makes a good harvest and how did Central Otago look in 2025?
It's a tricky question when the sun is shining, the region in question is one of the most spectacularly, jaw droopingly beautiful in the world and its dramatic mountainous foothills are flanked by vineyards nearly entirely devoted to Pinot Noir. It can be a little difficult to stand back and get a bit of perspective under those conditions, especially when the grapes look to be in extremely good health.
The real proof is in the final pudding, so to speak; in the wine bottle, once the finished wine has been bottled but since wine lovers, collectors and buyers are keen to know exactly what they can anticipate, I asked a couple of the region's best producers. I invited Blair Walter from Felton Road, Rudi Bauer from Quartz Reef and Sarah Adamson from Mora Wines to provide a snapshot of vintage 2025 in Central Otago, following a visit to the region in mid April, when vintage was still taking place.
"The 2025 harvest was another very decent vintage for us," says Walter, adding that yields were "pleasingly very similar to 2024 and 2023, only very marginally down due to a frost during flowering, in early November last year."
Fortunately, said frost was followed by superb weather during flowering, which ensured a good fruit set. This helped to offset some of the losses from frost damaged shoots.
Rudi Bauer, winemaker and owner and founder of Quartz Reef says he is happy so far but comes from the school of the "Let's wait and see" approach. When we spoke in mid April and when he was interviewed again in mid May, Bauer says the 2025 harvest was characterised by cooler night time temperatures and very warm days.
"This resulted in grapes retaining very good acidity which is good for longevity in our wines."
This year will also see Bauer make a vintage Blanc de Blancs, which typically spends three years on lees (as for a vintage champagne). Quartz Reef Blanc de Blancs are always marked by balanced freshness and piercing bold acidity that provides a framework of great structure and longevity.
Mora winemaker Sarah Adamson says yields were pleasingly very similar to 2024 and 2023 and only very marginally down in volume, due to cooler spring weather issues. "We were expecting quantities to be down further after the 3 November frost but, fortunately, superb weather during flowering ensured a good fruit set and helped balance some of the loss from frost damaged shoots."
The difference in the 2025 harvest in Central Otago was that it was a very dry growing season with relatively average temperatures and heat summation and without noticeably hot or cool periods, says Adamson.
"The heat summation graph surfed the average line from start to finish. These moderate temperatures right through harvest enabled slower and careful picking with nothing needing to be rushed. This resulted in a moderately paced vintage."
And, from the look of the grapes picked, tasted and others tasted as fermenting juice this April by yours truly, a very good year.
Time will tell, as always, with the best wines.
Below: Pinot Noir Abel clone freshly picked and arriving at Felton Road where Blair Walter is processing it gently at the gravity fed winery on one of many beautiful autumn days in the world's southernmost wine region, Central Otago.
