We are now on the home stretch of the 2025 harvest, which has definitely taken its sweet time. Here’s the inside scoop from the vineyard and cellar:
Late Is Great
As of October 29, approximately 85 percent of our fruit was picked—but we likely won’t reach the finish line until the second week of November. This officially makes 2025 one of the latest harvests in recent memory, aligning closely with the stellar 2023 vintage.
The long, late growing season stems from a relatively mild summer; steady fall temperatures without dramatic heat spikes; and a storm on October 14 that dumped two inches of rain and slowed the pace of ripening.
“A long ripening period like this allows for a great accumulation of anthocyanins and flavors at lower Brix (sugar) levels,” says Assistant Winemaker Skye Bruce. “As winemakers, that’s exactly what we love to see.”
Dialed In
Skye and Winemaker James Schreiner have been intent on making the most of this promising season. For example, when they noticed some considerable fruit variation within a single block of Cabernet Sauvignon at our estate To the Moon Vineyard, they relied on their palates and intuition to lead the way.
The path of least resistance would have been to just pick the entire block at once—but instead they insisted on three different pick dates within that single block. Says Skye, “We’ve found that very small sections within some blocks provide different flavor profiles, so we’ve been very selective about picking these sections separately to capture these varied expressions. It gives us all of these distinct components to play with later on and to make a more complex wine.”
Intentional & Experimental
Other unique and experimental efforts have included a “carbonic” Grenache fermentation to create a light, fresh and vibrant component that will ultimately elevate our next Grand Rouge blend.
Additionally, some lots of Syrah from To the Moon Vineyard were whole-cluster fermented in open-top wine barrels, with traditional foot stomping by Skye and cellar intern Emma Sickle. “The barrels allow for slow intake of oxygen throughout the fermentation while the stem inclusion creates a unique spicy character,” Skye says. “It gives us something unique to add to our upcoming Syrah Reserve blend from the Willow Creek District.”
“This type of treatment is very labor intensive,” Skye adds, noting that Cellarmaster Ernesto Bustamante has to remove the barrel hoops and heads for fermentation, then reassemble them once they’re emptied. “It’s just one instance of how we go the extra mile to create interesting wines.”
The final verdict is that you can expect some exciting and interesting 2025 Opolo wines from this special growing season.