The 2025 Harvest: A Season of Renewal at Burnt Hill Farm
October Journal — Burnt Hill Farm
Hey friends, checking in from Burnt Hill on this golden autumn day. The 2025 harvest is now safely in the cellar, and I can already feel it; this vintage will be our best yet.
We wrapped up grape harvest on Tuesday, and the energy on the farm has been electric ever since. The weather this year was nearly perfect, though it didn’t start that way. We opened the season dodging late frosts and slogging through a gray, rain-soaked May. I’ll admit, I wondered if the vintage would ever turn a corner. But by summer, Burnt Hill settled into a rare sweet spot, tucked in a rain shadow while storms rolled north and south of us. June and July brought just over three inches of rain each, well below average, and August, the driest on record, arrived right on cue. Cool nights, dry air, and early autumn light coaxed remarkable concentration and aromatic depth from the fruit.
An unusually dry winter, wet spring, and droughty summer created balance in hindsight with slow, steady ripening, layered flavors, and vibrant acidity. The result is a set of wines already showing elegance, freshness, and harmony. We love what comes from picking grapes under cool, dry skies.
Harvest began August 21, wrapped in fog and cool air, as friends and family gathered to pick our Côte-d’Or clone of Chardonnay (1068.1, for the wine geeks) destined for Blanc de Blancs. By Labor Day, we brought in Cabernet Dorsa (Cabernet Sauvignon × Dornfelder) at 25 brix, 3.5 pH, and a field blend of Pinot Noir clones at 26 brix, 3.37 pH. Our low-potassium, phyllite soils continue to shine, producing fruit that achieves full ripeness while holding its integrity and freshness. We picked at our own rhythm, never rushed by weather, an unusual luxury. Regent, Gamay, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Petit Verdot, and finally Cabernet Sauvignon in order. On October 7, we finished with Cabernet Sauvignon clone six at 27 brix and 3.5 pH, a fitting finale to a season that kept us laser focused until the end.
Now, as native fermentations hum in the cellar, the aromatics are already bright, deep, and alive. Every year at Burnt Hill tells its own story, but 2025 will stand among the greats.
Beyond the vineyard, life on the farm is just as vibrant. We welcomed a litter of Mangalitsa piglets last week, the barn cats had kittens, and our flock of sheep moves back into the vineyard on Tuesday. Everywhere you look, life hums. Burnt Hill is alive.
And on a personal note, the final day of harvest marked two years of remission since my last positive leukemia test. After a three-year battle beginning in April 2020, this year has been one of healing, rebuilding, and gratitude. From our new partnership with Chef Tae Strain and a preview dinner at the James Beard Foundation in New York, to the grand opening of our tasting room in August, to the joy of watching my kids grow up on the farm, my cup overflows with pride and thanks.
My heart is full, full of gratitude for health, this land, and the people who make it all possible. The story of Burnt Hill continues, and what a beautiful chapter this has been.
With gratitude,
-Drew
