2022 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

Unusual weather appeared from early winter, with a shortage of rainfall and a mild climate, and the ground clearly lacked water reserves from the outset. The growing season began one week earlier than the previous vintage, but spring stayed fine with no significant rain, which offset the early growth, so bud break came at the standard time for all varieties. Temperatures in April and May were in line with seasonal averages, with very low rainfall. Higher maximum temperatures than in the past ran from the end of May throughout June, and flowering took place ten days earlier than the average, before mid-June. July continued fine and hot; the vines adjusted to the low water supply with less vegetative growth and smaller clusters, and no fungal attack issues were seen. Decanter's Michaela Morris wrote that in Barolo the drought reached hyperbolic levels and the summer heat was relentless. The vast majority of the rainfall came in the summer months as very intense thunderstorms, and localised hail hit Barolo and the adjacent township of La Morra at the end of June. For Piedmont as a whole, record temperatures and prolonged drought marked one of the driest seasons in the region's history, with an early, very hot summer with no rain. Picking began as early as the end of August with grapes for sparkling wine, then the white varieties. Nebbiolo was nearly ready for picking by the middle of September, and its phenolic maturity stabilized in all areas around 20 September, allowing the harvest to begin; harvesting operations were finished by the beginning of October. Rain arrived at the end of September, after some growers had already picked. On yields, Decanter put Barolo yields down anywhere from 20% to 45%, while the Consorzio found production par on average without green harvesting, but lower in some of the hotter, more southerly facing areas.

Canopy management was particularly important through the long sunny spells of summer, shading the grapes to prevent burning from direct exposure to the sun. Drawing on lessons from 2003, 2007 and 2017, green harvesting was minimal at most, many estates avoided de-leafing and hedging, and lateral shoots were left to grow for extra shade. Poderi e Cantine Oddero and Brovia applied kaolin as a natural sunscreen for the bunches, anti-hail nets were credited with curbing sunburn, and Paolo Scavino launched the first trials with automated nets developed for sun protection. Special permission had been granted for emergency use of irrigation. At Pio Cesare, the already severe thinning was accentuated to lighten the plants, given the lack of water and the high temperatures. Vines shut down under heat stress, particularly on sandier soils, and Alberto Cordero di Montezemolo noted that 'The heat and drought actually slowed down phenolic ripening, but not sugar levels.'

Michaela Morris of Decanter picked Serralunga d'Alba as vying with Castiglione Falletto for top performing area, with village wines of surprising balance, and found the usually great Bussia particularly variable. Monforte d'Alba had its fair share of cellarworthy wines, although they did not reach the heights of 2021. Barolo and La Morra were hit by localised hail at the end of June; GD Vajra lost 20% of production in its Bricco delle Viole MGA, and at Barolo's lower, warmer reaches the Cannubi MGA struggled, according to Altare. Several producers set aside single-MGA bottlings: Fabio Alessandria of GB Burlotto made just one Barolo, saying 'In hot years, the vineyards start to resemble one another', and Trediberri and Alberto Burzi folded theirs into village blends.

Decanter found low yields and heterogeneous quality, but a vintage offering surprisingly inviting wines. Morris called the classic Barolos a sweet spot for the vintage, with Bartolo Mascarello's the standard-bearer, and was also impressed with Chiara Boschis' Via Nuova, Margherita Otto, Pio Cesare and Vietti; Pio Cesare's classic Barolo was her wine of the vintage. Her highest scoring wine overall was Gaja's Sperss, Paolo Scavino's Bric del Fiasc was among her top picks, and in Novello Elvio Cogno's Ravera is among the handful of 2022s that truly require cellaring. For Piedmont as a whole, WineNews reported that the Regione Piemonte and Vignaioli Piemontesi review gave 2022 four and a half stars, close to excellent, with Nebbiolo among the varieties at that level, and put regional wine production at 2.26 million hectolitres against 2.3 million in 2021.

The Consorzio's own harvest report called 2022 one of the earliest and most surprising vintages, with the vines in the Langhe once again showing their capacity for adaptation. Morris was pleasantly surprised by the wines' fragrance and fruit expression: the majority are round in body with harmonising rather than bracing acidity, and the tannins are well managed, if less complex and intricate than in great years. Many producers found it impossible to single out a comparable vintage, though 2020 was repeatedly cited, and Martina Fiorino at Bruna Grimaldi described the 2022 tannins as 'more resolved and integrated' compared with 2017. Decanter found most wines ready or nearly ready to drink, with ageing potential between 10 and 12 years, some longer lived, and only a very few bottles requiring extended cellaring. At harvest, the Consorzio expected full-bodied wines with excellent long-term ageing potential if attention was paid to preserving the acid profile during vinification.