Champagne Lanson hails 2025 as “the great August vintage we have all been waiting for”
Following a serene growing season and early harvest under ideal conditions, Champagne Lanson’s cellar master, Hervé Dantan, says the 2025 vintage shows an “unprecedented paradox” of high ripeness and preserved acidity.
A calm and balanced growing season
Maison Lanson has described the 2025 harvest as exceptional, following a relatively calm growing season and near-perfect weather. After heavy rainfall in 2024, conditions this year were far more stable. A dry, early spring encouraged rapid and uniform budburst across the vineyards.
Chardonnay flowered at the end of May, followed by Pinot Noir and Meunier in early June, indicating an early harvest. Although July brought a short spell of gloomy weather, the return of strong sunshine accelerated véraison and ripening.
Lanson began picking on 23 August in Montgueux and Trépail, concluding on 9 September with the final grapes gathered in the Vallée de la Marne.
“A rare paradox” of ripeness and freshness
According to the Comité Champagne, by 18 August average ripeness had already reached 9.2 degrees, the highest figure in 60 years. Grapes gained nearly 2.5 sugar degrees per week during early August, compared with the usual 1 to 1.8, surprising many in the region.
“What makes the 2025 harvest so distinctive is this rare paradox: particularly high ripeness levels, worthy of the sunniest years, combined with remarkably well-preserved acidity, particularly in terms of malic acid,” said Hervé Dantan, Lanson’s Cellar Master.
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“Thanks to our choice to vinify without malolactic fermentation, this natural acidity will fully express itself and ensure wines marked by a unique freshness.”
Lower Chardonnay yields, exceptional black grapes
While the sanitary condition of the fruit was excellent across all varieties, yields differed. Chardonnay recorded lower yields than the black grapes due to several factors: delicate weather during floral initiation in 2024, early flowering affected by cooler conditions leading to coulure, and intense summer heat. These factors reduced both grape weight and yield, especially in older vines, though quality remained outstanding, with concentrated, golden berries.
Pinot Noir and Meunier, meanwhile, proved particularly generous. Their later flowering helped avoid the issues affecting Chardonnay, producing bunches of exceptional quality with ripeness levels around 11 degrees and ideal balance between technological and aromatic maturity.
A promising early harvest
Dantan described 2025 as a vintage that “stands out for its unique character for an early harvest, combining exceptional ripeness with remarkable freshness”.
“2025 could well be the great August Vintage we have all been waiting for,” he said.
Juice tastings confirmed the promise of the grapes, showing both structure and freshness – hallmarks of what could be one of Champagne’s most exciting recent vintages.
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