On August 11, the Oliver Moragues winery, located in Algaida, Mallorca, will begin the 2025 harvest. Expectations for the new 2025 vintage are high, as it follows eight months of abundant rainfall, which have favored a very generous vegetative cycle. As a result, the vines are more hydrated, and higher yields are expected. The combination of good leaf canopy and adequate hydration suggests that the upcoming harvest season—set to begin in about eight weeks—will be far more “normal” than that of 2024, which was marked by an extremely dry prior cycle.
Although Mallorca typically experiences a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and wet winters, increasingly, there are larger fluctuations and statistical anomalies in both temperature and rainfall. The period from October 2023 to the 2024 harvest was characterized by such low rainfall that it caused a significant reduction in leaf canopy, hydric stress, and lower vineyard yields. As a result, the 2024 harvest was rather scarce and unremarkable from an oenological perspective.
In contrast, the last eight months—from November 2024 to May 2025—have seen rainfall significantly above seasonal averages. Not only was the total rainfall higher, but its distribution over time was ideal. Thanks to these more favorable weather conditions, the winery expects that the upcoming August harvest will see production levels per hectare return to those of the 2022 and 2023 vintages. This will help recover from the sharp drop in 2024, when yields on the island fell by 20% to 50%, an unsustainable situation in the medium term that put the entire sector at risk. A drop in production increases the per-liter costs of both vineyard treatments and labor.
It’s important to understand that water doesn’t just affect volume; it’s also essential to ensuring proper fruit quality. Hydration plays a key role in achieving balanced ripening, preserving freshness, and allowing for proper polyphenolic maturity—not to mention how the size and health of the leaf canopy impacts pH, which is a crucial element in the winemaking process.
The production of white grapes, especially Prensal Blanc, is expected to increase by 25% to 30% compared to 2024. Red varieties such as Manto Negro, Callet, and Gorgollassa are also expected to recover significantly.
For over ten years, Oliver Moragues has been working with cover crops, not only to regenerate soils but also to create a natural mulch layer to reduce the impact of extreme heat on the soil. Additionally, the winery continues its replanting project using bush-trained vines (en vaso), which allow for shorter plant height and deeper root systems, making the vines more resistant to drought. These efforts are part of Oliver Moragues’ broader strategy to adapt to climate change and proactively prepare for future droughts—ensuring healthier, longer-living vineyards.
aIn conclusion, while it is still too early to definitively claim that the 2025 harvest will surpass the previous year, the outlook is promising. There is still a long way to go, and it’s important to note that although the harvest will begin on August 11 with some early white varieties, not all grapes have short growth cycles. The harvest will extend through the end of September for longer-cycle varieties. These two different ripening periods require a cautious approach, as we won’t truly know the quality of the harvest until the week before picking. Nevertheless, all signs point toward a great year ahead.