After several weeks of tastings, the critics have started to share their impressions of this remarkable Bordeaux vintage. For William Kelley, in the Wine Advocate, the vintage has produced some ‘monumental’ wines while James Suckling calls Bordeaux 2022 a ‘new benchmark’.

The 2022 vintage was one of the driest and hottest growing seasons on record in Bordeaux. A cool, dry winter was followed by an early bud break with flowering in mid-May when temperatures started to rise. June was the fourth hottest since 1947 while July was the driest since 1959. Fortunately, night-time temperatures were cooler and there was some rainfall in June and August. Nonetheless, many vineyards showed signs of hydric stress. Unsurprisingly, the harvest was early, with Merlot being picking at the end of August at Cheval Blanc.

The lack of water and intense sunlight delivered low yields with small berries and thick skins. A comparatively straightforward vintage in the vineyard, picking had to be spot on to achieve optimal ripeness and freshness. In the cellar, extractions needed to be as gentle as possible to avoid aggressive tannins.

Some producers feared a repeat of 2003, another year of extreme heat but in 2022, where alcohol levels exceed 14.5%, there is enough acidity to balance. Advances in soil and canopy management have clearly made a big difference but the fact that the vines were forced to adapt to dry conditions at the beginning of the season, so producing fewer shoots, also contributed. The ‘critical difference is that in 2003, summer heat and hydric stress followed hard on the heels of a normal, rainy spring’, explains William Kelley. As a result, according to James Suckling, the 2022 vintage has produced ‘thousands of opulent and structured wines’ with ‘exceptional fruit and freshness.’

For William Kelley, the 2022 vintage ‘was not a rising tide that raised all boats’ but experienced properties, with sufficient resources, were able to produce fantastic reds.  While tricky to generalise, vineyards on cooler soils with more clay, such as the northern Médoc, and from the cooler limestone or clay soils on the Right Bank, have tended to obtain more freshness. The dry whites, which suffered from the heat, are less successful than the reds. The vintage is much better for sweet wines. Properties in Barsac and Sauternes, that waited until mid-October to pick after the onset of botrytis, have produced remarkably pure and rich wines.

In summary, the 2022 vintage has produced some genuinely exceptional reds, at least on a par with 2018, 2019 and 2020, and quite possibly even greater. As a result, we are anticipating a great deal of interest in this vintage, with some serious releases expected from next week. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.