The 2025 Vintage
The long hot days of summer are nearly behind us. For some, Labour Day, more than January 1, marks the start of a new year. And with summer vacation coming to a close, like any end of a cycle, comes the opportunity for reflection.
Connections made, sunsets and beach days shared, campfires songs and pool sides chats, will all be logged as memories as the days shorten and the shadows lengthen.
What will your favourite memories be from the summer of 2025? What songs played on heavy rotation? What movies resonated? Which tried and true wines reserved for hot weather appeared in your glass? What new wines did you taste that stand out as memorable? Apart from the weather, shared by all, the details are distinct for each.
Wine captures, and literally bottles, a season like no other thing we consume. When 2025 wines become available, for example, each bottle will taste different, nuanced, reflecting the sensitive nature by which grapes bend to each winemaker’s unique touch, despite commonalities in growing conditions. Astute winemakers will try to embody the a few short months of the year and make something to transport us back, in mind and memory, to the experience of that particular summer.
What better way to revisit the heat of July when the temperature plummets in February? Of course many of the more age-worthy wines won’t be ready that soon. Most aromatic whites and reds aren’t released until the following spring. And for the rest that age in barrels, these are usually released the second spring or summer after the vintage.
Wine is a time machine. Each vintage reminds me of where I was that year. Part of the reason I enjoy sharing wines so much is that along with the taste and physical sensations wine offers, it also provides an opportunity to share stories about a certain vintage. Many people ask if a certain wine will be good to “age”. Most wines purchased these days are consumed within hours of leaving the store, so by and large the majority of wines are not intentionally made to age. Those that are don’t need to sit in a cellar either. Many people prefer the younger more tannic red wines with the primary fresh fruit flavours, so these wines could be enjoyed early on as well.
The question then becomes will the wine improve with time in the bottle? Some, though not all wines hold up well to time. The ones that do need concentrated fruit to start with. Good acidity and tannins help.
Whether a wine improves in the bottle is subjective, and not everyone enjoys aged wines. The primary fruit flavours and aromas that many enjoy in younger wines fade into tertiary notes over time. These characteristics can include nutty, earthy, leathery or spicy notes, replacing fresh fruit flavours with dried or cooked fruit characteristics as the wine matures and develops a unique character. For the uninitiated, such wines can be considered “off”. But for those wines executed well with the intention to improve, with enough time, can become something transcendent.
So the next time you want to check in with your memory bank and relive the richness of 2025, grab a bottle of wine and revel in the recollection of a time and place and the people you enjoyed it with.