Vintage 2025 update
We've been a bit quiet on the socials recently, as we turn our full efforts and attention to the vineyard, pruning and setting up our vines for the next growing season. The winery has become quiet, as the new wines of the 2025 vintage quietly rest and mature over the cooler months. Harvest seems like an age ago now, however, it's a good time to reflect on the season that was, and the achievements and progress we made in our sophomore year.
The growing season and harvest of 2025 will go down as one the standout vintages in Ferguson Valley and Geographe wine growing history, a welcome return to more moderate conditions after that record heat and drought of 2024. Above average winter rainfall replenished the soil profile, with well-timed rain continuing through to summer. A rhythmic and consistent progression of sunshine and cooler weather cycled from budburst through the early stages of shoot growth, devoid of any extreme fluctuations. Flowering began with a period of warmer settled weather, punctuated by a massive rainfall event towards the end of November which saw 121mm fall in the Ferguson Valley in less than 12 hours (likely a record 24 hour rainfall event for the area). The flush of vegetative vine growth resulting from this rain event required significant canopy management to manage disease risk and achieve optimal fruit exposure. A warm and dry start of summer saw a swift end to flowering, then veraison (colour change) beginning in early January. Sporadic and inconsistent Marri tree flowering required extensive netting to prevent bird damage.
The rhythm and gradual trajectory of grape ripening across our varieties was such that we could make and execute precise picking decisions, in some instances picking the same vineyard several times at different stages. Harvest commenced on the 8th of February, with white varietals reaching harvest ripeness in relatively quick succession over the following several weeks. The later half of February saw milder temperatures with cooler nights, affording perfect conditions for the red varietals to gradually reach full physiological (tannin) ripeness, with the final harvest taking place on 6th of April. Fruit quality was exceptional across the board, with the moderate and consistent growing season ultimately yielding wines of varietal purity and a seamless balance of sugar levels, natural acidity and tannin ripeness.
The hard work of harvest and vintage has paid off, with the quality of wines we made this year beyond our wildest dreams. Stylistically, the wines feel more closely aligned with our winemaking philosophy to craft medium weight, savoury and spacious wines with depth and complexity of aroma and flavour. We expanded and built upon our 2024 varietal mix to include Fiano, Grenache and Mourvèdre, varieties we believe excel in the Geographe wine region but, more importantly, are all well adapted to the warmer and drier conditions we will see more of in the future. With the first wines of 2025 due to be bottled in early Spring, we can't wait to share this next chapter of Fearon Wines with you.
- Tim + Rachel