Chapel Down has said that the 2025 harvest marks its second-largest ever yield, with strong grape quality. 

According to the winery, the yield this year is expected to be 2,882 tonnes at an average of 3.7 tonnes per acre, which is 15% higher than its historic five-year average yield per tonne. 

The producer said that the warm and consistent summer created “optimal” conditions for development, resulting in grapes with a good balance of ripe fruit and natural acidity. 

The board said that it remains confident in its underlying trading conditions and is still on track to achieve market expectations for FY2025. 

Josh Donahay-Spire, head winemaker, said: “2025 has been one of those rare years that winemakers dream of. Excellent growing conditions throughout the season combined with a relatively settled weather pattern during the harvest itself has resulted in good yields and exceptional fruit quality.  

“The wines we will make from the 2025 vintage will help Chapel Down to continue to change the way the world thinks about English wines.” 

James Pennefather, CEO, added: “It is clear that 2025 will be seen as one of England’s great vintages for Chapel Down, and is testament to the quality of the vineyards we have planted and the relentless attention to detail from our viticulture teams. 

“I would like to thank all the members of our viticulture and winery team who have worked tirelessly to deliver such good quality and yield. This harvest was the second highest yield ever for Chapel Down and takes us one step closer to achieving our ambition of winning an equivalent 1% share of the global Champagne market by 2035.”