Bordeaux 2022 is now in bottle, and the major critics around the world are starting to put words and scores to the finished wines. As I wrote in a comparative piece on 2020 and 2022 Bordeaux in November, price has been this vintage's issue from the outset. But casting that aside for a moment, let's delve into which wines are the most exciting in a vintage with a very high ceiling that separates the best from the rest. And should 2022 be considered a great vintage now the wines are finished?
The vintage conditions are well reported but in brief, the season started with an early bud-break from a fairly warm spring, with extreme heat in mid-June, mid-July and mid-August. It is largely accepted that the dry and mild spring prepared the vines early for a hot, dry year and as a result the fruit did not suffer in the same manner as a similarly hot year, 2003. It cannot be understated, too, how the farming in Bordeaux has come on in those two decades. Vintages like 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 have all served to teach producers how to manage heat and drought stress, and then how to handle the resulting small, thick-skinned berries in the winery. The resulting wines have an impressive balance and perceivable freshness at their best, with some châteaux producing wines that are considered among their best ever.
Below is a summary of writers' views on Bordeaux 2022 in bottle, followed by some thoughts on the vintage as a whole and the wines that stand apart.
William Kelley leads the 2022 in-bottle report for the Wine Advocate (supported by Yohan Castaing) with a strong statement - "the 2022 vintage has turned out brilliantly in bottle. With comparatively few exceptions, the best 2022s’ compelling marriage of ripeness and aromatic freshness, power and precision has made it into bottle intact." Ten wines receive 100 points, and it is not just the usual names or most expensive wines that acheived a perfect score. Montrose has been on an incredible run of form and he says the 2022 "represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux." Similarly, Canon he says "is an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956". In Saint Julien we have "the best young Léoville Las Cases I've ever tasted", and Les Carmes Haut Brion, whose rise has been well documented, is "the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet's ownership and Guillaume Pouthier's direction" according to Castaing. The concluding thoughts in this report are that "the very best 2022 Bordeaux are wines that everyone is going to want to have in their glass—no matter the price." Strong praise indeed.
Neal Martin, writing for Vinous, says "At their pinnacle, mon Dieu, I really love the 2022s." Speaking to the style, he praises the "sensational aromatics", saying "the elite retain or even heighten delineation", unlike the 2003s or 2018s. He goes on to say "The levels of freshness are occasionally breathtaking", particularly when considering the heat of the vintage. He is quick to say that the vintage does not deliver universal quality, saying "the vintage was a test of making wine with restraint, knowing when to ease off the accelerator pedal." Three wines get 100 points, Vieux Château Certan, Margaux and Pétrus, with a clutch of others nipping at their heels with the potential to be upscored as they mature. Speaking of VCC, he says "just a week after I retasted the immortal 1947, this latest iteration proves that quality remains as high". On Margaux, he claims the 2022 "belongs on the mantelpiece alongside the 1959 and 1983." Praise for the best wines is effusive, in a manner rarely seen from Martin for such young wines. In conclusion, he says "The 2022 vintage is one of the modern-day greats. The best will stand the test of time."
Antonio Galloni, Martin's colleague at Vinous, says "the very best 2022s are truly spectacular." He gives five perfect scores - Vieux Château Certan ("a total stunner") like Martin and Montrose ("insanely beautiful") and Les Carmes Haut Brion ("a towering masterpiece") in common with the Wine Advocate. Beauséjour Bécot and La Mission Haut Brion also get 100. Stylistically, he says the vintage has produced "rich, heady young wines with considerable baby fat and plenty of both textural intensity and freshness."
Fellow American James Suckling hands out nine 100-point scores - there are a considerable number of wines with 99, too. He sees the vintage as having "a clarity, particularly in aromas, and a precision in the palate that gave a notion of levity and freshness, even though chemically this may not be the case." His belief in the depth of quality is stronger than other writers, as his scores show.
Jane Anson gives three wines 100 points, including Beauséjour Duffau (now labelled simply Beauséjour), an estate on the rise under Josephine Duffau's stewardship. She believes "it is clear that 2022 contains many exceptional wines. Almost all classified estates performed strongly, and were not caught out over ageing as many were in 2018."
Georgina Hindle, writing for Decanter, gives six wines a perfect score. She says these wines "surpassed the expectations of the vintage and delivered elegance, structure, purity, balance – and ultimately delighted in their own way." Les Carmes Haut Brion is again in the top tier, cementing this wine's prowess and growth in recent years. Lafite is the only 100 point wine from the Médoc, with the others either right bank or Pessac-Léognan.
The most generous critic is Jeb Dunnuck, who gives no fewer than 16 wines 100 points. The style of the vintage aligns with what he wants from Bordeaux, and he believes "This is an extraordinary vintage that will go down in record books as one of the all-time greats."
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW is yet to report on 2022 in bottle, but this will be added once released.
Praise is fulsome for the best wines from all critics in 2022. Most also concede that quality does not run as deep as in other modern greats in Bordeaux simply due to the difficulty of the growing season and the need to handle the vineyards carefully through the season and be dilligent and gentle in the winery. Many different wines in different styles receive 100 points, but there are some with multiple perfect scores that really do stand out from the crowd.
In my recent tastings of the vintage I have tried over 100 wines from 2022. While I concede the best wines do show remarkable freshness considering the year's conditions, it is important to frame that these are still big wines, ripe and rich for Bordeaux. Alcohols are not as high as a vintage like 2018, but they are above average. In part due to this and in part due to their fragrance and balance they are a marked step up on the at-times cumbersome 2018s and are certainly better defined than vintages like 2003, but don't expect moderate alcohol and graphite-tinged, edgy wines. Canon is magnificent and I might be a little stingy in my score there. Les Carmes Haut Brion is a special wine in 2022, I am excited to taste it next to the 2020 over the years to see which turns out to be the better wine, but they are both unquestionably wines to buy. Montrose and Pichon Lalande continue to deliver first growth quality - they are further in their process but should not be forgotten simply because they have found consistency as two of the best Cabernets in the Médoc.
Attention is invariably focused at the top of the pyramid, but there are several wines that perform brilliantly in 2022 at a more attainable price-point. The scores from the major critics are now attached to all wines on our website, and you can find some real drinking gems. As prices soften, collectors can have confidence that many of these wines will deliver real drinking pleasure in the glass. One only need look at the likes of Langoa Barton, Tronquoy, Montlandrie and second wines like Croix Canon to see the potential quality at these levels.
The top performer with the critics is Lafite with four perfect scores. The wine showed terrifically from barrel, though I am yet to taste it from bottle. There are a lot of wines with 100 points, but our advice would be to follow the critics whose palates you trust and look at the producers that are clearly making great wines year in, year out. The praise from varied critics sets a very strong foundation for 2022 to be considered among the great vintages of modern Bordeaux. It is a shame that the prices and ensuing market have tarnished or masked the quality of the wines, as there is clearly outstanding quality for drinkers to enjoy at the right price. As prices fall back in line with other vintages, there will clearly be some fantastic opportunities for collectors. It will be fascinating to taste the vintage at Southwold next year, particularly next to 2016 at Ten Years On.
