Wine's world

Mouton-Rothschild has just unveiled the label for its new 2023 vintage, which has recently been bottled.

The illustration was designed by Joana Vasconcelos, a Portuguese artist known for her monumental and joyful creations. Her design brings together around a bunch of grapes the elements necessary for the birth of a great wine: earth, water, sunshine and the coolness of the night, with the hand of man represented by the tip of a triangle.

The Hospices de Beaune auction held last Sunday attracted a large crowd but yielded mixed financial results (despite the triumphant comments appearing in the press):

• Overall, it was the third-best sale in history (nearly €19 million), behind that of 2023 (€23 million) and far from the record set in 2022 (€31 million).

• In terms of average price per unit (228-litrebarrel), whites and reds combined, the increase is only 4.6% compared to last year, while the 2025 vintage is already much more promising and publicised than the 2024 vintage was.

Under the dual impact of the summer drought and ongoing vineyard uprooting plans (Languedoc-Roussillon, Bordeaux, South-West, etc.), wine production for French appellations (AOP) in 2025 is close to the already low level in 2024 and well below the five-year average for 2020-2024.

Comparison between 2025 and the 2020-2024 average by wine-producing region (source: French Ministry of Agriculture):

• Up in two small wine-producing regions
   +43% in Jura, after several years of poor harvests, including 2024 (catastrophic frosts)
   +  9% in Savoie

• Average (between +5% and -5%) in Champagne, Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire Valley

• Down in some major producing regions
   -  6% in Burgundy/Beaujolais
   -  7% in the South-East (Rhône and Provence)
   - 17% in Alsace
   - 18% in Bordeaux
   - 24% in the South-West (excluding Bordeaux)

NB. The apparent relative stability of Burgundy/Beaujolais masks marked disparities between departments, with Chablis showing a sharp increase (+45% compared to 2024) and Beaujolais a sharp decline (-32% compared to 2024).