2025 Vintage Report

The 2025 vintage is the earliest harvest I can recall since 2008, which was also a hot and dry season, although 2025 was the driest vintage since 2007.

In Clare Valley, yields were extremely low due to frost and poor fruit set. However, this resulted in small, tight berries and loose bunches, with low disease pressure and very good tannin development.

Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills received a little more rain than the Barossa and Clare, largely due to their proximity to the coast and prevailing weather patterns. That said, the Shiraz from Burnside that makes up 'Waterfall Block', like much of South Australia, produced small berries and small bunches and ripened earlier than we have seen previously. The fruit profile was extraordinary, with round and soft tannins. We also sourced fruit from a new Chardonnay vineyard this year and the resulting wines show a lot of promise. I look forward to working with our new grower into the future. Stylistically, we will be looking at a change for the 2025 Adrestia, while “Hell Freezes Over” Chardonnay will continue in the style it has followed since 2020.

McLaren Vale has produced what is probably the best vintage I have seen there in the past five years. The drier than usual conditions allowed better control of canopy management and fruit maturity. The Cabernet shows vibrant berry fruit with subtle hints of leafiness, while the Shiraz has benefited from improved exposure, showing ripe dark berry fruit, a savoury palate and dense tannins.

Eden Valley ripened more evenly this year than last due to the extended Indian summer we experienced, with favourable ripening conditions continuing beyond the traditional vintage window and into May. The Shiraz shows intense colour and dense dark tannins, with great structure and a soft, mouthwatering palate that is silky and velvety.

Barossa Shiraz shows great variation, with strong fruit characters ranging from raspberry and red berries through to plum, black cherry and blueberry. Vineyard blocks located near stands of eucalypts also show lifted aromatics with hints of eucalyptus and mint. Overall, 2025 has proven to be a very good vintage, with Grenache and Mataro particular highlights for their aromatics and structure. Shiraz, as always, provides a very solid foundation with plenty of options for blending.

- Richard Langford
Chief Winemaker