“One thing is certain: the 2025 harvest will remain in the winemakers’ memories for a long time to come, and wine lovers can look forward to an exciting and promising vintage.”

With these words, I concluded my column on the new Luxembourg vintage at the end of September 2025. By that point, the majority of the grapes had been harvested; only in a few regions were winemakers still hoping for slightly more full-bodied and riper grapes. These winemakers were able to afford a slightly later harvest date, whilst most of their colleagues had already brought in their entire crop.

The first crus from the 2025 vintage have been bottled over the past few weeks, primarily easy-drinking terrace wines. The photo was taken at Domaine Kohll-Reuland in Ehnen during the bottling of Gris de Gris.  © Photo credit: Claude François

A first look at the 2025 vintage

That was six months ago now, and naturally I am curious to see how the 2025 vintage has developed in the meantime. As the independent winegrowers will be kicking off the 2026 tasting season on 26 and 27 March with the ‘Wäikues’ at the ‘Däichhalen’ in Ettelbruck, it made sense to pop round to the ‘Vignerons Indépendants’ for a first sniff of the new vintage.

No sooner said than done. On 13 March, I was welcomed by the private winegrowers’ long-standing advisor, the Mexican Jean Cao – who has long held the Luxembourg Moselle dear to his heart – at the former wine museum and future ‘Wäinhaus’ in Ehnen. Among other things, the independent winegrowers have their offices there. These have been renovated over the past few months, and during this time the staff had been based in a side building of the Remich Wine Institute.

Jean Cao, the consultant to the independent winegrowers, particularly highlights the 2025 Pinot varieties, but also has a soft spot for Rivaner and is convinced of the quality of the Gewürztraminer © Photo credit: Claude François

Tasting amidst boxes and office supplies

In the freshly painted premises, amidst boxes and office supplies, Cao tasted 22 wines with me. Some of these were already bottled, whilst others were presented as tank samples due to be bottled shortly.

At this stage, a tasting of the new vintage is not yet meaningful enough to allow for a definitive judgement. Some still lack harmony, whilst others are dominated by primary aromas, which give every wine a fruity note.

Before a wine is released onto the market, the laboratory at the Viticultural Institute in Remich carries out a chemical analysis, after which a commission assesses it organoleptically © Photo credit: Claude François

However, what can already be observed at this early stage is the potential of the wines and the fundamental character of a vintage. And so, following the tasting, I can confirm that the 2025 wines stand out for their particularly pronounced aromatics. Hardly any were restrained; rather, most stood out for their opulence and aromatic density.

Pinot varieties as the big winners

An impression confirmed by Cao. The wine consultant regularly tastes all the wines from several dozen estates and tracks their development. He therefore has a very good overview, much like a winemaker at a large estate. “The vintage is indeed characterised by very lovely aromas, and that applies to every grape variety,” attests the expert. For him, alongside the Rivaner, the Pinot varieties are the winners of the vintage. Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc and, in particular, Pinot Gris.

I, too, particularly enjoyed the Pinot varieties in the tasting. Surprisingly, the Pinot Gris wines already taste really good. Just like Cao, I had a soft spot for the 2025 Rivaner – a delightful hidden gem of the vintage – and in particular for the Gewürztraminer, of which we tasted two samples. Anyone who likes highly aromatic, rather sweet wines will be delighted by the Gewürztraminers of the 2025 vintage.

Riesling amidst the weather extremes

Due to the numerous weather fluctuations in late summer 2025, the rather late-ripening Riesling was unable to achieve full phenolic ripeness and was therefore somewhat sidelined. The significant difference in rainfall between the cantons of Remich and Grevenmacher is particularly noticeable with this grape variety: whilst there was less rain in the Upper Moselle (from Schengen to around Hëttermillen), it poured with rain much more frequently from Ehnen/Wormeldange to Wasserbillig.

The grape harvest began quite early in 2025; grapes for Crémant were already being picked by the end of August. September brought glorious sunny days, but also plenty of rain showers © Photo credit: Claude François

I certainly had a lot of fun at the first tasting of the 2025 white wines. They were not only aromatic but also tasted very harmonious, as the acidity balance – in other words, the quality of the acidity – is practically ideal in this vintage.

State inspections before market release

Quite a few wines are already in bottles and are being released onto the market. However, all crus must first be examined at the Remich Institute of Viticulture (IVV). This involves chemical analysis in the laboratory and organoleptic testing by a commission that checks all wines for defects.

“Only once all tests have been passed does a wine or a Crémant receive the national Appellation d’Origine Protégée label,” explains state wine inspector Paul Thill.

State wine inspector Paul Thill attests to the high standard of the 2025 vintage, stating that it reflects the excellent quality of the harvested grapes © Photo credit: Claude François

In the course of his duties, the qualified chemist has already tasted numerous 2025 wines. He confirms that the Burgundy and the Chardonnay wines in particular have turned out exceptionally well this year, as one can “taste the ripeness of the harvested grapes”. For Thill, the 2025 vintage is clearly superior to the two previous ones, which he has already analysed in detail at the IVV.

Rivaner or Gewürztraminer? Both!

I, too, am personally quite impressed by the intense fruitiness that many of these still very young wines have already displayed. I was particularly taken with the impeccable quality of the many organic wines I had the pleasure of tasting, and with the promising Burgundy varieties.

I will certainly be enjoying a glass or two of 2025 Rivaner on a terrace, as the potential of the 2025 Müller-Thurgau is truly exceptional. And I will definitely be securing a few crus of this vintage’s Gewürztraminer, because although I’m not actually a fan of it, there are quite a few enthusiasts in my entourage.