2022 Bordeaux Vintage

The 2022 Bordeaux growing season was defined by sustained heat and historic drought. After early-April frost events that impacted some vineyards, above-average warmth took hold from May onward. June brought some useful rainfall that helped soils build a water reserve, but July was almost completely dry, recording just 3mm of rain against a 30-year average of 49mm. Heatwaves arrived in four distinct bursts rather than the single prolonged event of 2003, allowing vines to adapt over time. In the 20 weeks from 7 May to 23 September, 117 days saw average daytime temperatures reach 24 degrees Celsius or more. The absence of fungal disease throughout the season meant fruit arrived at harvest in clean, healthy condition.

• April frost (nights of 3-4 April) impacted some vineyards, less damaging than the severe frosts of 2017 and 2021
• July rainfall was just 3mm versus a 49mm 30-year average; four short heat wave bursts replaced 2003's single prolonged extreme
• June hail on 20 June laid waste to approximately 10,000 hectares across St-Estephe surrounds, Bourg, Fronsac, and parts of the Medoc
• Near-total absence of fungal disease (mildew, grey rot) meant clean, healthy fruit throughout the region at harvest

Quality in 2022 was high across the board but not uniform. Producers with well-drained gravel soils, precise parcel-by-parcel harvesting, and modern temperature-controlled cellars were best placed to capture optimal ripeness without over-extraction. The Haut-Medoc appellations of Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, and Saint-Estephe all recorded lower yields than average, driven by small berry size rather than widespread frost damage. Saint-Emilion, by contrast, enjoyed more generous yields than many Left Bank communes. Pessac-Leognan navigated hailstorm damage in June and nearby wildfires in July but produced striking wines on the best sites. Both banks delivered exceptional results in skilled hands, with Merlot performing well where water stress was managed carefully.

• Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, and Saint-Estephe all recorded below-average yields mainly due to small berry size from drought
• Saint-Emilion yields were more generous than much of the Left Bank, bucking the wider pattern of shortage
• Pessac-Leognan overcame June hailstorm damage and proximity to summer wildfires to produce impressive wines on top terroirs
• Irrigation was permitted for the first time in major appellations including Pomerol, Pessac-Leognan, and Saint-Emilion under special INAO derogation, allowed until 15 August

The 2022 vintage attracted exceptional praise from critics tasting en primeur in April 2023 and confirmed in bottle by 2025. James Suckling, tasting his 40th consecutive Bordeaux en primeur, described the vintage as setting a new benchmark for the region. Jane Anson awarded 98-100 points to seven red wines including Chateau Ausone, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafleur, and Chateau Cheval Blanc. Chateau Leoville Las Cases, a blend of 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot, was consistently named one of the wines of the vintage by multiple critics including the Wine Advocate and Vinous. Chateau Cheval Blanc received perfect 100-point scores from multiple reviewers. The Wine Advocate's William Kelley praised the vintage's aromatic range and freshness while noting that quality remained heterogeneous, with some less successful wines appearing jammy or astringent.

• Chateau Cheval Blanc received perfect 100-point scores from multiple critics and was among the first to release en primeur prices, at 32% above the 2021 release
• Chateau Leoville Las Cases (83.5% Cab Sauv, 10.5% Cab Franc, 6% Merlot; harvested September 8-30; yield 37 hl/ha) earned 100 points from James Suckling and 98-100 from Wine Advocate and Vinous
• Jane Anson's top 98-100 point wines included Ausone, Belair-Monange, Chateau Margaux, Latour, Beaujour Duffau-Lagarosse, Lafleur, and Cheval Blanc
• The Wine Advocate noted quality was mixed at all levels of the hierarchy, and that second wines showed unusually high quality, with some estates choosing not to produce a second wine at all

The 2022 vintage posed distinct technical challenges in both vineyard and cellar. Berries were small and thick-skinned with concentrated color, tannin, and phenolics, resulting in record-breaking Total Polyphenol Index measurements at many estates. Normal ranges of 65-80 on the IPT scale were far exceeded, with Leoville Poyferré registering 93, Lynch-Bages 95, and Phelan Segur 96. Malic acid was very low due to heat, leaving tartaric acid as the main structural backbone and pH levels on the high side. Many producers resorted to acidification, and whole-cluster fermentation was widely adopted to raise acidity and lower alcohol. Press wine showed remarkable freshness and was incorporated into grand vins at higher percentages than usual. The key to success was a light touch in extraction, avoiding the coarse tannins that plagued 2003.

• IPT (Total Polyphenol Index) records were broken across the region: normal wines register 65-80; 2022 saw values of 93-96 at many estates
• Malic acid was very low; tartaric acid preserved structure, but pH levels were elevated, with widespread acidification practiced to maintain freshness
• Whole-cluster fermentation gained notable traction to raise acidity and temper alcohol; at Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 70% whole-cluster reduced alcohol by a full degree to 13.5%
• Small fermentation tanks enabling parcel-by-parcel vinification proved critical to precision harvesting and limiting over-extraction

The best 2022 Bordeaux reds combine ripe, concentrated tannins with a surprising and somewhat mysterious freshness that defied the laboratory analyses of critics tasting en primeur. Top Left Bank wines from Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Margaux have the structure and depth to evolve for 30 years or more, with drinking windows commonly cited from the early 2030s through 2060 and beyond for the greatest estates. Right Bank wines, including Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, show a generous, plush character with projected peak drinking from the late 2020s onward. Entry-level Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur are best approached within the next few years. The vintage's innate energy suggests the top wines will be long-lived, though their unusual approachability when young may tempt early opening.

• Top Left Bank estates (Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux): optimal drinking broadly 2032-2060+, with first growths potentially evolving for decades beyond
• Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Emilion): rich and generous; peak drinking broadly 2028-2045 depending on producer and yield levels
• Cru Bourgeois and generic Bordeaux: approachable from release and best consumed 2025-2030
• The vintage's unexpected freshness and balance suggest the top wines will age gracefully, though unusual youthful charm may tempt earlier drinking

2022 stands apart from previous hot Bordeaux vintages through the accumulated vineyard and cellar knowledge of producers who have now navigated multiple warm, dry years including 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The results are wines that express terroir with unusual clarity despite extreme above-ground conditions, with vines channeling energy into root exploration rather than fruit load. Critics drew comparisons to 2010 and 2016, with some even invoking 1961. However, quality is not uniform: the vintage rewards careful selection by producer and appellation, and en primeur prices rose sharply, with some top releases priced 20-30% above the 2021 campaign. Buyers willing to navigate the variability and accept high prices will find wines of genuine historic quality at the top level.

• Widely compared to 2010 and 2016 by critics, with some producers invoking 1945 and 1961 as reference points for quality and longevity
• Producers leveraged experience from six hot, dry vintages in the past decade (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022), making 2022 far better handled than 2003
• En primeur release prices rose sharply: Cheval Blanc launched at 32% above 2021 and Angelus at 21% above, reflecting high quality and low supply
• Selective buying is essential: quality varies significantly by producer, and some less careful estates produced jammy or astringent wines despite the vintage's overall potential