Vinpro Technical Harvest Report 2025

Climatic and viticultural trends

After the 2024 harvest, leaf fall occurred earlier than usual due to heavy rainfall in March and April, followed by late downy mildew

outbreaks. During this period, 145 mm of rain was recorded, which is 320% above the long term average. This raised questions about the adequate accumulation of reserves and the effective uptake of post-harvest fertilisation. Since the 2024 harvest occurred one to two weeks earlier than usual, post-harvest fertilisation was also applied earlier than normal. The Robertson district experienced a warmer and drier early winter, characterised by lower rainfall and higher temperatures until mid July. From mid-July to the end of August, temperatures dropped significantly, and rainfall reached 190% above the long-term average. The accumulation of cold units was sufficient to break dormancy, eliminating the need for dormancy-breaking agents. Groundwater levels were well replenished, and brackish salts were effectively leached. Scheme dams were full, as were the dams of producers relying on runoff water, ensuring sufficient irrigation resources for the season. Due to the cold, late winter and early onset of spring, bud burst occurred approximately two weeks later than usual. Initial shoot growth was slow, attributed to the cold, wet soils. On 28 August, widespread frost was recorded, even in non-frost-sensitive areas, but due to the delayed budding, most vineyards avoided the frost damage. However, where blocks budded earlier, frost damage was reported. Despite this, frost damage was notably less severe than in the previous two seasons. From October until ripening, moderate conditions prevailed throughout the growing season. The flowering period was long and protracted, with uneven fruit set, largely due to the cool conditions (Photo ROB 1) . The mild weather during the growing season resulted in vigorous growth, requiring additional canopy management actions. Véraison was delayed by approximately two weeks and was more uneven than usual. Although the early cultivars ripened about two weeks later than normal, the later-ripening

Photo ROB 1: Uneven development of Chenin Blanc bunches in Robertson.

cultivars reached maturity at their usual times. The cultivars ripened in their normal picking sequence, except for Cabernet Sauvignon, which ripened before Shiraz – a trend that has been observed in the district over the past few seasons. General remarks

The vines and grapes were in excellent health throughout the season, thanks to limited rainfall during the growing period and

effective preventive disease control. Initial shoot growth was slow due to a cool, wet winter and a late onset of spring. However, the mild weather conditions led to more vigorous canopy growth than usual. While heavy winter rainfall caused widespread flood damage to infrastructure, the impact on vineyards was limited. Apart from three days around Christmas, during which intense heat peaks were recorded, the district did not experience any significant heat waves throughout the season. Early-season sampling posed challenges due to the uneven

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