Spier 2025 harvest may become one of their finest in twenty years – potentially ranking in their top three vintages. Yet the season that produced these exceptional grapes didn’t start that way. What began as a year of challenges ultimately revealed itself as something extraordinary. This is the story of our 2025 harvest.
When the heavens opened
Following a notably warm and dry post-harvest period in 2024, July brought the wettest month in recent memory. Torrential rains flooded rivers, vineyards and orchards, damaging infrastructure and turning roads into streams. Farming came to a standstill.
Luckily, Mother Nature always knows best. Those flooded soils eventually gave way to cooler spring conditions and slower ripening. The greater difference between day and night temperatures – a gift of the season – led to red grapes with vivid colour density and whites with bright, focused acidity.
Patience is a virtue
Our vineyard teams walked the rows daily, watching and waiting. Pruning began in mid-July, with careful attention paid to each block. Despite poor germination of cover crops due to dry planting conditions and waterlogged soils, vine health held strong. By September, budding was on the go.
As the new year arrived, harvest began a week later than usual on 20 January. The first grapes to be picked were for our Cap Classique range. But what began slowly quickly accelerated through February and March.
Grape expectations
With Cellar Master Johan Jordaan recently crowned Chenin Blanc Champion at the Master Winemaker 100 Awards, it’s no surprise that this varietal shone bright in our 2025 harvest. Despite lower yields, Chenin delivered concentrated stone fruit and tropical notes that quickly filled the cellar. Chardonnay arrived with bright limey zest, and as it continues to mature on fine lees in barrel, it’s developing impressive complexity. Our dry-farmed Albariño also came into its own this year, producing two expressive wines, both showing balance and finesse.
The red wines tell an equally exciting story. Pinotage revealed a depth and complexity more typical of years in bottle – a reward for the season’s slow, patient ripening. Merlot and Malbec arrived with naturally higher acidity, setting the stage for excellent ageing potential, while Shiraz showed the elegant, perfumed character that defines great vintages.
Perhaps most promising of all was our Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit ripened so perfectly that we were able to extend skin contact well beyond our usual timeframe, extracting everything the grapes had to give.
Regenerative rewards
At Nooitgedacht – our organic farm in Paarl – young vineyards planted in 2020 hit their stride, delivering crops of 12–16 tons per hectare. Cultivars such as Chenin Blanc, Grenache (both Blanc and Noir), Pinotage and Petit Syrah showed excellent results.
Following regenerative agriculture principles, the farm is setting new benchmarks: specific cover crops, mulch applications and cattle rotations improve soil health and boost vine performance year on year. We’ve also expanded plantings and partnerships, including sourcing organic Sauvignon Blanc from McGregor in refrigerated trucks to preserve every nuance.
Good things coming
Some vintages teach you about the weather. Others teach you about waiting. This one taught us both.
The 2025 vintage will forever be remembered. Not just for the flooding that tested our resolve, but for the wines that emerged from those tests. Balanced, complex wines that will reward the same virtue in those who drink them. Watch this space: good things are coming.
