2022 Burgundy Vintage

The 2022 growing season unfolded as a story of warmth, drought, and timely rescue. A mild winter was followed by an early start to the growing season, raising the spectre of frost as temperatures dropped sharply in early April. Thankfully, slightly later budburst than in prior years meant most vines were still protected, and damage was limited. From May onward, temperatures were consistently above average, with four distinct heatwaves across the summer, and rainfall was significantly below normal in most months. The pivotal moment was June, when Burgundy received around double its usual monthly precipitation, topping up water reserves and setting the vines up for the warm, dry stretch ahead. An early harvest beginning in mid-to-late August completed the picture of a classic modern warm vintage that, through good fortune and skilled management, retained far more freshness than the raw data suggested.

• Four nights of April frost (April 3–11) caused limited damage, unlike the catastrophic 2021 frosts, as later budburst protected most vines
• June rainfall roughly double the average refilled water reserves, widely considered the single most important weather event of the vintage
• Four summer heatwaves drove early ripening; harvest began around August 20 on the Côte de Beaune, among the earliest on record
• 2022 is recorded as the driest and sunniest year in Burgundy since the start of the century, with 285 extra hours of sunshine and temperatures 1.4% above the long-term average (source: BIVB)

After three consecutive short vintages, 2022 delivered the kind of abundant harvest that the whole Burgundy trade had been hoping for. The BIVB reported a 75% increase in volume versus 2021, with total production reaching approximately 1.7 million hectoliters. Yields were healthy across the board, averaging 40–50 hl/ha for reds and around 40 hl/ha for whites, without the excessive abundance that might dilute quality. The recovery was broad, spanning from Chablis in the north through the Côte d'Or and down to the Mâconnais and Côte Chalonnaise. A notable feature was that Chardonnay, which often ripens ahead of Pinot Noir, actually benefited from a slightly later harvest in 2022, gaining additional hang time and complexity. Côte de Beaune whites and Côte de Nuits reds were both widely praised, with expert opinion divided on whether whites or reds represented the greater triumph of the vintage.

• Total Burgundy production approximately 1.7 million hectoliters, a 75% rebound from 2021 and 18% above the five-year average (source: BIVB)
• Domaine d'Arlot, as one documented example, doubled yields from 19.5 hl/ha in 2021 to 40 hl/ha in 2022, producing over 65,000 bottles
• Domaine Louis Latour's Corton-Charlemagne yields recovered from 6.1 hl/ha in 2021 to 49.5 hl/ha in 2022, illustrating the scale of the recovery
• Whites accounted for approximately 61% of the 2022 Burgundy harvest, consistent with the region's typical white-dominant production profile

The defining surprise of 2022 is that such a hot, dry year produced wines of genuine freshness and restraint rather than the jammy, overblown style one might fear. Reds display red-fruit character, expressive florals, and silky tannins rather than the dense structure of 2018 or the brooding power of 2020. The Côte de Nuits was singled out by multiple critics for exceptional elegance, combining good intensity with a light touch and fine texture. White Burgundies are widely considered outstanding, showing ripe stone fruit and citrus with a freshness that belies the warm season. Alcohol levels are balanced and correct rather than elevated. The vintage is accessible and appealing in youth, yet serious observers note genuine aging potential, particularly for premiers crus and grands crus from quality producers.

• Côte de Nuits reds are particularly admired: perfumed with rose petal and red fruit, combining good intensity with fine texture and freshness across appellations from Gevrey to Chambolle
• White Burgundies are considered a standout achievement, described as fresh and not overly exotic, with alcohol levels typically between 12% and 13.5%
• Côte de Beaune saw some variation, with the Côte de Nuits generally considered a notch ahead in consistency, though top Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet impressed
• The style draws comparisons to 2017 for its openness and charm, but with greater concentration and longer aging trajectory, according to producers including Dominique Lafon

The 2022 vintage occupies an interesting position on the aging spectrum. The wines are immediately appealing, with sweet fruit profiles and melting tannins in the reds suggesting early accessibility. Village-level reds can be enjoyed from late 2024 onward, and Côte de Beaune premiers crus are approachable from 2026 or 2027. Premiers crus from the Côte de Nuits and Corton warrant patience until around 2027, while grands crus are best approached from 2028 or 2029. White Burgundy's potential should not be underestimated: premier cru and grand cru whites from conscientious producers are considered genuinely age-worthy, with the best capable of developing complex character over 15 to 20 years. The vintage's balance and harmony, rather than brute tannin or extreme concentration, are the foundations of its longevity.

• Village and regional reds: approachable from late 2024 to 2025, drink through 2028–2030
• Côte de Beaune premiers crus: begin opening from 2026/27; Côte de Nuits premiers crus and Corton from 2027/28
• Grands crus reds: best approached from 2028/29; top estates will develop over 15 years or more
• Top premier cru and grand cru whites: capable of aging 15–20 years; even quality village wines (Meursault, Narvaux) can develop nicely for 10–15 years

The warm vintage posed specific technical challenges that winemakers navigated with growing confidence and experience. Cooling harvested fruit quickly was a priority, with many producers using refrigerated transport or chilling grapes for 24 hours before fermentation. Thick skins at harvest meant there was little need to extract colour or tannin aggressively, and gentle extraction was the dominant philosophy, with pumping-over preferred over punch-downs. Some producers used additional whole-bunch inclusion to introduce freshness and structure. pH management required attention, particularly in the Côte de Nuits where historically high potassium in some soils pushed pH levels up; a small number of producers made targeted acidification decisions. Malolactic fermentations were sometimes slow despite low malic acid levels. Lees management was especially important for white wines, with many producers retaining more lees than usual to protect against oxidation and support texture.

• Gentle extraction was near-universal: few punch-downs, with pumping-over preferred, and thick skins meant colour and tannin extraction required less intervention
• Fruit-cooling techniques widespread: refrigerated trucks, pre-fermentation chilling, and dry-ice protection used across domaines to preserve aromatic freshness
• pH management a notable challenge in Côte de Nuits: some cuvées from Gevrey and Chambolle recorded elevated pHs, requiring careful monitoring and occasional targeted adjustments
• White wine producers retained more lees than usual during aging to provide natural oxidation protection and build texture in a sunny, lower-acid vintage

The 2022 vintage arrived as welcome relief for the entire Burgundy trade after three short harvests had drained stocks to critical levels. The BIVB noted that by mid-2022, only around 14 months of stock remained in the region, well below the typical two-year supply. With 2022 and 2023 both delivering abundant volumes, prices were expected to stabilise or soften at lower quality levels after years of scarcity-driven inflation. For collectors, 2022 presents an unusual opportunity: excellent quality from every appellation level, broad availability, and genuinely competitive pricing compared to the scarce 2021s. The vintage rewards exploration beyond the trophy appellations, with village and regional wines offering authentic terroir expression at accessible price points. Négociants and smaller producers alike benefited from the healthy fruit supply and were able to produce full ranges across appellations.

• Stock levels in Burgundy had fallen to approximately 14 months of supply by mid-2022; back-to-back large vintages in 2022 and 2023 began restoring trade inventories
• Wider availability at all levels means négociants could source across preferred appellations, unlike in 2021 when many cuvées were simply not produced
• Village and regional wines offer strong value: the abundance and quality of the vintage make exploring lesser-known appellations and producers especially worthwhile
• Long-term investment focus remains on top premiers crus and grands crus, though 2022 pricing reflects improved supply rather than the scarcity premiums seen with 2019, 2020, or 2021