The Wine Advocate's William Kelley on 2022

The Wine Advocate’s French wine expert William Kelley has published his highly anticipated report on Bordeaux’s nascent vintage.

"Everyone who has tasted the wines will agree that the quality and character of the 2022 vintage in Bordeaux is a surprise. How did conditions so extreme deliver wines of such aromatic range and freshness? How can wines of such density and structure exhibit such textural refinement and charm?"

"At its best, this is a vintage of remarkable concentration, energy and harmony; but far from forgiving mistakes, 2022 punished them, and the less-successful wines are jammy, astringent and rustic. 

"It is also worth noting that the quality of second wines is especially high: so high that some estates such as Cheval Blanc, Giscours and Corbin elected not to produce them. Others did so more to preserve existing distribution than out of any real necessity. The best second wines in 2022 often exhibit similar structure and texture to their grand vin counterparts, something that isn’t always the case, and they merit more serious consideration than usual this year."

William Kelley's Wines to Look for En Primeur:

Berliquet
Bourgneuf
Branaire Ducru
Dame de Montrose
Langoa Barton
Larrivet Haut Brion
Mangot

Read more about Bordeaux 2022.