2022 Vintage Report

2022 is an vintage of surprises with some phenomenal wines. 

Many of us will remember the long hot summer and there was an abudance of sunshine, but! this is not a simplistic vintage and heat does not tell the full story in the bottle.

A normal rainy Spring replenished groundwater reserves followed by a summery May with rapid vine growth.  Flowering was good and even, signposting the likelihood of an early harvest, which was then confirmed in the warmth of summer.  June was hot (the first heatwave) resulting in heavy thunderstorms and localised hail along two corridors in the Northern Medoc and around Libourne.  A second heatwave in July was more intense and at this point the berries stopped growing in size and started the process of colour change.  Young vines and shallow, sandy soils experienced hydric stress, too early for some, causing scalding and blocking colour change.  August remained hot but nighttime temperatures were reassuringly cooler, mostly below 20 degrees Celsius, the significant drop helping to preserve acidity.  By early September the red harvest began; dry weather allowing each estate free choice of when and which plots to pick.

As a rule, berries were small and deeply coloured, and yields will be smaller as a result of the drought.  All grape varieties were successful but Merlot was a true surprise, and those from the best terroirs and clay-limestone soils were fabulous, with balance and freshness.  The best terroirs of the left bank and those close to the river or with older vines show remarkable subtlety and nuance.  Yields will vary greatly, influenced by each Chateau’s type of soil, age of vines, intensity of rains in June and choices in the vineyard.  Sandier soils and younger vines may show high alcohols or overripe aromas and flavours, while those from heavy clay soils will be extremely powerful and plenty of tannins.  It was interesting to hear how knowledge gained working in warmer climates is helping Chateaux to bring a new perspective to viticulture in Bordeaux; at Smith Haut Lafitte, Fabien Teitgen talked about protecting berries by changing trellising to give more shade, from their experiences at the family's Cathiard Vineyard in Napa. 

The Style of 2022

RED WINES 

2022 is a fascinating vintage, like no other than we have tasted before. We can look to the weather in terms of antecedents but there is not direct comparison stylistically for the reds;  other hot vintages were 2003 and 2018, though they were not as dry as 2022, and the summer heat came later in those years.  By contrast, 2022 does not taste like a hot year, showing lower pHs, and lower alcohols and overall better balance.  Winemaking styles have evolved in the past ten to twenty years, and there is a depth of knowledge of how to handle heat in the vineyard. 

We heard from several different Chateaux that the high temperatures experienced early in the season in May had a positive effect in hindsight, to help vines to adapt positively to the heat.  The slow progressive development in the grapes in 2022 providing a contrast to the other hot vintages (2003/2018) with sudden heat spikes in July and August.  Certainly from our tastings, 2022 does not taste like a hot vintage, apart from the surprisingly deep colours, across all appellations. 

There is plenty of fruit, and oodles of tannin, and many Chateaux chose to shorter, cooler fermentations (24-26 degrees rather than 28-30) and a gentle approach in the winery to not extract harsh tannin.  This lighter touch to tannin management paid off and the best wines still show notable tannic structure (generally 10-15% higher than in 2018 or 2020) but feel silky in the mouth with signature long velvety finishes.      

The lesser wines show ripe dense fruit and some may be jammy and grippy, whilst others will provide good drinking pleasure very early, as soon as they are bottled.

There are undoubtedly some phenomenal wines of terrific substance, subtlety and the tannic structure to age well.  It will pay to be discerning but there will be many 2022s that will demand attention and will need to be considered amongst the very best of 2018, 2019 and 2020. 



WHITE WINES

Grapes for the dry white wines were harvested historically early, in early to mid August, with Sauvignon Blanc grapes showing low acidity but interesting aromatics and crunchy fruit, and Semillon white peach and apricot character and good concentration, though some will verge on exoticism. 

SAUTERNES

Sauternes producers had to wait until mid-October for noble rot to arrive, with the wines showing remarkable richness and lusciousness and low acidities. Fortunately yields are better than the tiny but excellent crop of 2021.