Stellenzicht Vineyards' 2025 harvest has wrapped up a week ago, and our winemaker, L'Ré Hughes, reflects on an exciting season in the cellar. The final week was a whirlwind as we brought in the last grapes before the rain arrived, two of our older Cabernet Sauvignon blocks destined for Tristone, the last of our Cinsault, cooler-area Chardonnay, and our oldest Shiraz block, which gave us a beautiful final harvest.
With all grapes now safely secured in the cellar, the early signs of quality are looking promising. The Chardonnay is showing delicate, delicious aromatics, while the Cabernet batches have intense colour and depth. This year's overall yield was up after a smaller 2024 vintage, and each variety showed its own strengths. Cabernet and Chardonnay thrived, benefiting from extended hang time that allowed for optimal ripeness while preserving fresh acidity. Our young Chardonnay blocks especially stood out, revealing their potential in a way we haven't seen before.
Weather conditions played a crucial role in shaping this vintage. A moderate season, with no extreme heat waves, meant the grapes had time to develop full phenolic ripeness at lower sugar levels while retaining acidity. Managing soil moisture and spending time in the vineyards to taste and sample were key to ensuring the best results. With no major stress on the vines, this years yields were slightly higher than the 2024 vintage, requiring patience and precision to get the balance just right.
Every vintage brings new lessons, and this year was no exception. Refining our pruning methods in certain blocks paid off, improving overall vine health and grape quality. As we continue to understand the unique micro-pockets within our vineyards, we're adapting our approach to picking, ensuring we harvest at just the right moment to bring out the best in each block. This knowledge is invaluable in crafting premium wines.
While harvest may be over, the work in the cellar is far from done. Some whites and rosés are still fermenting, while the team is pressing red wine batches and ensuring every barrel and tank is full. Soon, attention will turn to malolactic fermentation, followed by racking and barrel selection. By the end of May, we'll begin tasting through the 2025 batches, carefully choosing which wines will go into barrel for maturation.
The excitement of harvest may have passed, but the dedication continues. Every step now is about nurturing the wines until they are safely tucked away, a labour of love that will define the 2025 vintage. Stay tuned as we follow the journey from grape to glass.
