Champagne restricts yields to lowest level since Covid
The region of Champagne has just announced the yield limit for this year’s harvest, setting it at the lowest level this century, aside from 2020, when the first Covid-related lockdowns led to a sharp decline in sales.
Announced today (23 July), the ‘available’ or ‘commercialisable’ yield (which is the maximum amount that can be made into wine for selling from this harvest) has been set at 9,000 kg/ha for 2025.
That represents a total production of approximately 255 million bottles from the 34,000ha region, and the lowest artificial limit this century, aside from 2020 – when the full impact of Covid-related lockdowns were being felt, and the region capped production at 8,000kg/ha (representing fewer than 230m bottles).
The decision to cap this year’s yields at 9,000 kg/ha follows a meeting between the co-presidents of the Comité Champagne – David Chatillon, representing the houses, and Maxime Toubart, who heads up the winegrowers.
As reported by db in advance of the announcement, a limit of 9,000kg/ha was expected, at it represents a compromise between the calls from the houses for a limit of around 8,000kg/ha and a higher level demanded by the growers, who, it has been suggested, wanted to keep yields at or above 10,000kg/ha.
Notably, the ‘commercialisable’ yield looks set to be below the natural yield, with db recording earlier today that Champagne is expected to produce between 10,000 and 11,000kg/ha, with “perfect” conditions in the region, according to Louis Roederer cellar master, Jean-Baptist Lécaillon.
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The limit for this year’s harvest is lower than in 2024, when it was capped at 10,000kg/ha, which, in turn, was down a little more than 12% on the 2023 vintage, when it was set at 11,400kg/ha (and almost 17% lower than in 2022, when it was 12,000kg/ha).
Meanwhile, the market for Champagne in 2024 was 271.3m bottles and looks likely to remain at a similar level for 2025, although exports are growing slightly – as db reported on at the start of this week.
Commenting on the decision regarding this year’s yield – which is set according to current and forecasted levels of demand as well as stock levels in the region – Maxime Toubart, who represents the growers in his role as co-president of the Comité Champagne, said that it was “responsible”.
“This decision reflects a clear-headed, united, and responsible Champagne region, capable of acting with restraint in an evolving world while maintaining unwavering confidence in its fundamental strengths,” he said.
Fellow co-president, and representative for the houses, David Chatillon added, that Champagne would “build the future with ambition, without ever losing sight of today’s realities.”
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