Harvest 2025 – A great team and great grapes
What a whirlwind! Overall the vintage is a small quantity but excellent quality and more than last year for which we are grateful.
The first day of harvest 2025 was 3 September with Sauvignon blanc for Sincerite. We dove in with energy and excitement. Harvest was so early that our daughter Ellie and her friend were able to help for the first couple of days before heading off to uni.
Red Grapes
Then we moved onto Merlot for the Brut Rose then the Merlot and a few rows of Cabernet Sauvignon for Sensualité dry rosé (sold out like the white wines so we need it badly!). Then onwards with the red wines. 
We were delighted to welcome the wonderful Cécile – some of you will remember her – our apprentice in 2015 and 2016 and her husband Alberto, as well as our regular pickers Vincent and Guillaume. Merci!
Team Spirit and Harvest Joy
In less than 3 weeks we had everything handpicked thanks to the fantastic team that included Aoife, Roddy, Cathy and David, Darren Sparkles, Kareen, Peggy, Matt and Sarah, Alberto and Cecile, Guillaume and Vincent who has been picking with us since 2014. Thank you! Harvest is about getting the grapes picked, but it is also about conviviality, laughter and joy. And really enjoying that moment of rest at the halfway point. Lying on the grass never felt so good!
We are the only people in Saussignac appellation that handpick all our grapes. Why Handpick? This choice is important for quality but also for this less quantifiable element of energy and joy. But there is more to it than that. See my article that gives the full tea on why handpicking is important.
The last day 20 September we harvested Cabernet Sauvignon with vine shareholders and club members.
Harvest Day
We were blessed with good weather (one tiny sprinkle of rain) for the harvest weekend. Many vineyard shareholders and club members joined us to celebrate the 20th Anniversary. Thank you to everyone for making this a special day. Particular thanks to the harvest weekend home team Aoife and Maeve and Conor. We were delighted to see returning shareholders the Robb Keen party, Chris and Dave Drake, and to welcome club members Matt and Sarah, Abigail and Daniel and Ned and Nancy. There is something special about the comaraderie that develops with returning guests and clients. Thank you!
Photo thanks to Ned Martin for this great photo – see more photos and options to Order prints online
Harvest is about picking – the timing and attention to detail – but it is also about care in the winery – see more details in this post.
Stomping Grapes and Harvest Fun
After picking there was stomping fun and laughter.
Harvest Dinner
We ended with a delicious harvest dinner with craic and chat followed by timid dancing. Was it Caro’s story about her detached retina caused by dancing last year that put people off our tradition – see 2017 and harvest weekend 2022?
Next year we expect the serious dancing boots to be back – I’m looking at you Anne-Marie (and Les). Thank you to the lovely Melanie and Charlie and their team David and Nathalie at the excellent restaurant Melange for a fabulous dinner.
Next steps for Harvest 2025 Wines
For the last phase of harvest – the final run off and pressing of the reds – Sean was supported by the phenomenal Aoife. Thank you!
In April 2026 seven months after picking we will bottle the fresh dry whites and the still rose and around 30 months later the reds.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone that participated in the wonder of harvest 2025. We are deeply grateful. Thank you also to photographers that provided photos. Merci!
Exclusive Library Bottles available to Subscribers and Club Members
As part of our 20th anniversary celebrations we have a few exclusive bottles of beautiful old vintage (2010, 2013 and 2017) Sauvignon blanc available to our club members and subscribers (join the newsletter below to find out more). These old vintage Sauvignon blancs are exceptional. They show how a grand terroir and natural winemaking creates age-worthy wines in categories most wine critics would say are not ageworthy. We have also released a very limited quantity of Feely Resonance 2006 and Feely La Source 2016 for club members.
Date for Harvest Day 2026
Book the date! Harvest Day 2026 for Club members and active Vine Share holders is set for Saturday 19 September.
Visit us
You don’t have to wait for the harvest weekend. You can visit Chateau Feely all year round. Stay in one of Chateau Feely’s delightful holiday houses. Come and learn more about wine at the wine school or with a visit to Chateau Feely in South West France ; stay or do a multi day course or multi day tour or yoga retreat.
Experience the vineyard via the book series
Read about the story of Feely organic vineyard– the Vineyard Series includes four books – as recommended by the New York Times.
Live the Chateau Feely experience via our Exclusive Wine Direct to your Door
Buy Feely wines via the Online Wine Store. Join the Feely family organic wine club for a wonderful community of winelovers, access to exclusive wines, special pricing and many other perks.
