A new “Vintage of the Century” from Bordeaux is nearly upon us. The 2022 Bordeaux crop has garnered high praise from the wine press, and the wines will be released and shipped later this year. If you have journeyed away from Bordeaux with your wine purchases, perhaps it is time to come back around. The 2022 wines are often of the highest quality. The complex aromas, the purity and layering of fruit, the influence of oak, the elegance, balance and ageability all combine in 2022 to merit increased interest in Bordeaux wines.
I recently had the privilege of attending a tasting of the 2022 Bordeaux vintage sponsored by the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux – an organization that includes many top wines from the most famous Bordeaux appellations. It is an opportunity to get a sense of the overall quality of a given harvest and to discern which estates within the Bordeaux AOP were most successful.
The weather of 2022, as with all vintages, presented significant challenges to vintners in Bordeaux. Overall, the vintage will be regarded as a hot one, but the resultant wines show better balance than other hot vintages for reasons we will mention soon. After a very wet December, the early 2022 winter was somewhat drier than usual. Cool weather in early March delayed bud break which was beneficial because vines were not susceptible to early April frosts. April experienced average temperatures, but the above-average heat began in May. The warm weather accelerated vine growth and flowering occurred rapidly and with few problems. June was hot, but with ample rainfall which allowed soils to build a reservoir of water for the dry days to come.
The high temperatures continued into July, a month when virtually no rain fell and the resultant hydric stress affected the vines. The hot weather caused vines to go into protective mode and cease their vegetative growth. Signs of an early harvest showed as véraison began in late July. August remained dry and daytime temperatures were hot. Night temperatures cooled significantly, however, providing the diurnal shift that allows vines to rest. Winegrowers avoided leaf removal in the vineyard, which offered shade to the grapes and prevented raisinated fruit. The excessive heat and drought resulted in grape berries much smaller than normal, especially for Cabernet Sauvignon. It also reduced the level of pyrazines, the compounds that provide the green bell pepper aspect often found in red Bordeaux.
The early harvest was confirmed as picking the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes for dry whites began in early August. Harvest for the Merlot grapes began in early September. Although September was warm and dry, it was not as extreme as the summer months and growers allowed the Cabernet grapes to ripen on the vines, beginning the harvest in mid-September and carrying on until October.
The hot and dry conditions did not allow very much botrytis development, which worried Sauternes producers. Fortunately, late September brought rain showers and encouraged botrytis formation. An easterly wind and airflow in late October facilitated sugar concentration and those estates that waited to pick were rewarded with rich and sweet wines.
2022 was a very successful harvest overall. Some are drawing comparisons to other great and hot vintages of the last century like 1961, 1945 and 1929. Time will be the ultimate arbiter of quality, but there are clearly some all-star wines. The hot and dry conditions reduced yields by 10% or more in many areas. St.-Émilion was an exception with slightly higher yields thanks to the clay-limestone soils of the region that retain more water. With the lower yields and effusive praise, prices have risen across the board. One can expect to find their favorite estates priced about 20% higher than the less-lauded 2021 vintage.
Overall, I think of 2022 as an exceptional, if enigmatic vintage. Despite the high heat, I did not sense an overripe or raisined character in the samples. The wines generally show a fine balance of fruit, tannin and acidity. I found few green or pyrazinic characteristics, but did note many wines as silky, supple and elegant. Many wines are impressive now and will age nicely for many more years. Prices listed below are average US retail prices from various sources. Most are offerings for fall 2025 delivery, as the wines have not yet been released. Astute shoppers can find many 2022 wines for less than the averages listed here.
For dry white wines of Pessac-Léognan, the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc ($119) was the best of those tasted. The purity of fruit, layered complexity and overall finesse sets the Chevalier apart from other wines. Other superb whites were the Pape Clément ($150), Carbonnieux ($50), Larrivet Haut-Brion ($56), Smith Haut Lafitte ($178), La Louvière ($37) and Malartic-Lagravière ($61).
There were exemplary wines in evidence from all parts of Bordeaux. On the Right Bank in Pomerol, Châteaux Clinet ($121), Gazin ($102) and Le Gay ($145) were my favorites of the small sampling with Château Rouget ($60) offering top quality at a very good price. Saint Émilions that topped my list were Beau-Séjour Bécot ($91), Canon ($171), La Dominique ($57), Franc Mayne ($46), Canon-La Gaffelière ($96), Dassault ($52) and Valandraud ($185).
Exceptional wines were made throughout the Left Bank as well. Château Fourcas-Dupré ($20) and Château Fourcas-Hosten ($32) in Listrac were full and balanced. From Moulis-en-Médoc, Chasse-Spleen ($40), Maucaillou ($35) and Poujeaux ($34) all showed fine quality. Châteaux Camensac ($40), Cantemerle ($35) and Lamarque ($35) from the Haut-Médoc appellation were my favorites.
In St.-Estèphe, Château de Pez ($41) and Château Ormes de Pez ($37) showed well, as did Château Phelan-Ségur ($60). Although no first-growth wines were in the tasting, the top 2022 Pauillac wines were outstanding, and indeed potentially legendary. The Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande ($244) and Pichon Baron ($189) topped my list, followed by Lynch-Bages ($147), Clerc Milon ($97) and d’Armailhac ($62). The classic power and finesse of Pauillac was evident in all these wines.
In St.-Julien, Léoville-Barton ($97), Léoville Poyferré ($125), Gruaud-Larose ($107) and Beychevelle ($100) were my favorites, with rich fruit and layers of complex flavors already evident. Châteaux Langoa-Barton ($55), Lagrange ($62), Talbot ($73) and Saint-Pierre ($72) were also very good. Château Gloria ($51) was especially pleasing as well.
Moving on to the Margaux appellation, my top wines of those tasted were Châteaux Giscours ($76), Rauzan-Ségla ($118), and Brane-Cantenac ($89). All showed the elegance and supple style of Margaux. Châteaux Lascombes ($95) and Cantenac-Brown ($63) and Prieuré-Lichine ($51) also showed well.
In addition to stellar white wines, Pessac-Léognan offered some excellent reds – showing the deep fruit and earthy complexity of the appellation. My favorites of those tasted were Château Haut-Bailly ($171), Domaine de Chevalier ($83), and Smith Haut Lafitte ($153) – all showing opulent fruit. Châteaux Pape Clément ($98), Larrivet Haut-Brion ($41), Latour-Martillac ($43) and La Louvière ($38) also showed very well.
Although yields were low and botrytis was late to form, 2022 is a promising year for Sauternes. Of the wines presented, Châteaux Guiraud ($62) and Suduiraut ($80) were my favorites, followed by Doisy-Daëne ($66), Doisy-Védrines ($46) and Bastor-Lamontagne ($32).
The wines tasted were from the top 5% of all Bordeaux wines. The prices listed reflect pre-arrival pricing in most cases. Many of the wines will arrive in the summer and fall of 2025. As always, there is much more to discover among the thousands of other Bordeaux wines produced every year. Given the overall high quality of the vintage, there are treasures to be found. A careful shopper can find excellent wines in a $15-$25 price range. It is a vintage well worth investigating.