It was clear at the time we visited Bordeaux to taste the 2022s that this was a very special vintage. The wines enjoyed a magical combination of tension, freshness and energy. They were concentrated but not overripe, powerful but not heavy. We thought then that 2022 is a vintage that will be drunk and talked about for decades to come. Has that assessment changed now the wines are now in bottle? Writing on vinous.com last week (2022 Bordeaux in Bottle: Living in the Present), Antonio Galloni doesn’t think so; he judges that 'the very best 2022s are truly spectacular'.
What was it about the 2022 growing season? Most growers told us they had never known a vintage like it. A few consulted history books and referenced 1947. Almost every vigneron we spoke to struggled (through bemused happiness) to explain the 'surprise of the vintage', with the grapes from such a hot year nevertheless showing such an intense vein of freshness. The bottom line seems to be that although it was a very hot, dry year, the water table had been left topped up by the very different 2021 season; and there was just enough rain at just the right moments in 2022. Most growers only realised how good the season had turned out when the grapes went into vats. /NT
And a few top 2022 picks…
Haut-Bages Liberal: with vines between Latour and Pichon-Baron, Haut-Bages Liberal ought to be a shoo-in at the price (£198/6). Galloni scores it 97 points: 'A fabulous Pauillac… that richly deserves a wider audience.'
Batailley: quintessential Pauillac, and long one of our favourites. The name 'Batailley' commemorates a fifteenth-century battle between the French and the English, but relations are much friendlier now: in 2022, Batailley adopted a smart (if sombre) black variation of their classic label, with a dedication in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. Neal Martin writes, 'This Batailley is like driving a classic old car'.
Phelan Segur: 'a star in the appellation,' according to Jane Anson, which would 'make it into a new version of the 1855 classification if one ever came around', this St-Estephe has vines abutting Montrose and Calon-Segur. Quality has been soaring under the guiding hand of Veronique Dausse.
Grand-Puy-Lacoste: 'All class,' says Galloni, 'The 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is stellar, especially in the way it melds together the natural richness of the year with its classic style.' Emmeline Borie can't compare 2022 to any other vintage. 'The year was very stressful. We thought we were not going to have enough water. But in the end we did, and just at the right moments. It was perfect.'
Rauzan-Segla: 'pure and total sophistication', says Galloni, this is one of the classiest tickets in its appellation. Nicolas Audebert's mantra is 'let the terroir do the talking'; it is a mantra he applies through a mix of very hard work in the vineyard followed by very gentle, respectful winemaking.
Calon-Segur: one of the Medoc's most-loved properties, this northerly St-Estephe has benefitted from a cellar revamp and a long-term replanting programme, and is finer than ever. The 2022 is monumental.
Lynch-Bages: Super-Second Lynch-Bages turned out an impressively powerful 2022, with the structure to age for decades. Or as Galloni puts it, 'all the classic Lynch layers, but dialled up to the maximum'.
See the full list of our 2022 Bordeaux below.
