VINTAGE
VINTAGE 2025
Premise – Climate change and vintage interpretation
Over the last decade, climate change has profoundly reshaped viticulture in Southern Europe. Summers that were once marked by brief heat peaks are now increasingly characterized by extreme temperatures exceeding 40 °C for several consecutive weeks.
Under these conditions, vines operate under strong physiological stress: photosynthesis slows down, sugar accumulation becomes more limited and phenolic ripening progresses more slowly and with greater complexity. This creates a climatic paradox: very hot and prolonged vintages do not necessarily produce more powerful or alcoholic wines, but often fresher, more dynamic wines with moderate alcohol levels.
In light of this shift, vintage reports should be read through a new interpretative lens.
1. General overview
The 2025 vintage stands apart from recent harvests, showing a climatic pattern closer to that of fifteen years ago—before the prolonged heat waves that have marked the Mediterranean in recent years. It was a challenging year from an agricultural standpoint, yet extremely interesting in terms of quality, producing balanced, fresh and dynamic wines.
2. Weather pattern
2.1 Winter and spring
Winter and spring 2025 were marked by abundant and continuous rainfall, in sharp contrast with the averages of the last ten years. During the winter–spring period, the previous decade’s average rainfall was around 300 mm, while the 2024 vintage—extremely dry—recorded only about 30 mm in total across winter, spring and summer.
In 2025, approximately 800 mm of rain fell between winter, spring and summer, exceeding 1,000 mm when considering the entire agricultural season, including autumn.
In this context, the extremely vigorous vegetative growth was also the result of sound farming practices adopted in previous years. After several drought-stressed vintages, significant autumn fertilisation had been carried out to help the vines recover from accumulated water stress. The exceptional rainfall of 2025 amplified the effect of these practices, leading to excessive vegetative growth.
Vines directed much of their energy to canopy development at the expense of yield, while the humid conditions created a favourable environment for fungal diseases, particularly downy mildew. This made vineyard management more complex and contributed to reduced yields.
2.2 Summer
Summer 2025 was not particularly hot compared to recent years. Only one significant heat wave occurred in July; for the rest of the season temperatures remained relatively stable, with cool nights and moderate daytime conditions.
During the summer, vineyards were affected by an outbreak of African leafhopper. Under organic farming conditions, controlling this insect is particularly challenging, and despite repeated treatments, effectiveness was necessarily limited.
The infestation reduced leaf area and helped limit rapid ripening accelerations—preventing sudden sugar spikes and sharp drops in acidity. This slowdown, combined with the overall balanced summer climate, still allowed the grapes to reach good phenolic and sugar ripeness.
Harvest was therefore later than in 2024, starting between 15 and 20 August and ending at the end of September.
3. Effects in the vineyard and on yields
Abundant winter and spring rainfall, together with strong vegetative vigour, resulted in yields below average and increased agronomic complexity. Despite this, thanks to the more balanced summer conditions, grapes reached good sanitary status and complete ripeness from both a technological and phenolic standpoint.
4. Harvest and fermentations
From an oenological point of view, grapes showed excellent phenolic ripeness, with mature tannins and well-defined aromatic profiles. Sugar levels were slightly higher than in 2024; however, spontaneous fermentations selected yeast populations that converted a lower proportion of sugars into alcohol. This resulted in wines with moderate alcohol levels, well balanced by the vintage’s natural freshness and overall tension.
5. Wine profile
Overall, 2025 wines are more aromatic than 2024, with intense and complex aromatic profiles. Fruit expression is clear and elegant, tannins are ripe and well integrated, and freshness is evident and well distributed.
Mineral notes are slightly less pronounced than in other vintages—likely due to the abundant rainfall—yet are balanced by greater aromatic expressiveness and a strong sense of overall harmony.
6. Vintage identity
At the beginning of the 2025 season, we expected Sicilian wines closer to past expressions: deep wines with higher alcohol and complex tannins, where freshness and minerality played a less central role than in more contemporary interpretations.
Unexpectedly, a series of external factors changed this scenario. Spontaneous fermentations showed a lower-than-expected conversion of sugars into alcohol. At the same time, the African leafhopper outbreak—through reduced leaf area—helped limit ripening accelerations.
These elements supported a slower, more balanced and more homogeneous ripening. The result is wines that retain structure and presence, yet show a more measured overall balance than historical vintages, with better-integrated alcohol, more stable acidity and more harmonious tannins.
Despite initial expectations, the final profile of 2025 aligns with the style of recent years: fresh, dynamic and highly drinkable.