2022 Rioja & Spain Vintage

The growing cycle was very fast, under unusual weather. The winter brought moderate rain: a quite wet November 2021 and intense rain in March refilled the soil's water reserves, so bud break arrived with the soils well stocked. Bud break was good and fertility average. A spring heat wave pushed vegetative growth hard, and growers had to work to keep the vineyards in balance. From May to the end of the cycle, temperatures stayed very high, noticeably above average, and drought set in strongly once May began; the lack of rain did not let up until the August rains. It was the hottest year on record in Rioja, with excessive heat shutting vines down under stress, and summer hail in Eastern Rioja reduced yields. Rain finally fell on 24 August, concentrated in the middle part of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa while the vines were at veraison, which slowed ripening there; in Rioja Oriental that rain never came, and picking was already finishing in many areas. The Cierzo, a cold wind from the Cantabrian Sea, arrived before harvest and helped push the vines through final ripening. The heat and drought also brought a total absence of fungal disease and extraordinary grape health. The harvest was one of the earliest and longest in the Denomination's history: it began on 10 August in the most eastern zones and lasted 88 days. The crop was moderate compared with the Denomination's average.

• Winter and spring: moderate winter rain; a wet November 2021 and intense March rain refilled soil water
• From May: very high temperatures, above average, and scarce rain until the August rains
• 24 August: rain in the middle part of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa at veraison; none in Rioja Oriental
• Harvest began 10 August in the most eastern zones and lasted 88 days; no fungal disease

At its plenary session on 12 May 2023, the Consejo Regulador rated 2022 "Muy Buena" (Very Good). The rating came from the blind assessment of 5,102 samples, up from 5,025 the year before, by a tasting panel of 120 professionals. Each sample was tasted by 5 judges, more than 25,500 sensory assessments in all. The wines show moderate alcohol, lower than in recent years, with pH and total acidity close to the usual values of recent harvests, and higher Color Index and Total Polyphenols. By 1 November 2022 the DOCa had taken in 419.8 million kg of grapes, 49 million of them from white varieties, with a peak of 22 million kg received on a single day, 22 September.

The vintage shows a marked territorial definition, more pronounced this year because ripening happened under very different conditions from zone to zone. Pablo Franco, the Consejo's technical director, summed it up (translated): "the 2022 vintage will be characterized by great heterogeneity, differentiation and diversity". In Rioja Oriental, where summer heat and drought drove the early harvest, Franco found that full ripeness was still reached, giving balanced wines with great roundness on the palate. In Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, ripening came only a few days ahead of a normal year, with good balance between alcoholic and phenolic ripeness and good color, which he saw as very promising for wines meant for long aging. In Haro, Bodegas Manzanos started picking on 18 August and finished on 10 October; the winery found that loam and clay plots with good canopy and irrigation management held up very well, sandy plots suffered more, and old vines with deeper roots gave their usual quality. In Elciego, Luis Larrea of Pago de Larrea estimated his crop at about 10 percent smaller.

• Rioja Oriental: earliest picking and full ripeness, giving rounder wines
• Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa: ripening only a few days ahead of a normal year
• Haro (Bodegas Manzanos): loam and clay plots held up; sandy plots suffered more

Reds show good color intensity, black fruit and a surprising freshness, with a high polyphenolic load and fine, intense tannins. The Consejo considers that these reds can age well, though not across the board, and that wines destined for aging have very high potential. Whites and rosados show correct aromatic definition and surprising freshness. JancisRobinson.com calls 2022 a better vintage for reds than whites. Two producers noted low acidity: Luis Larrea described very good wines with lots of fruit and structure despite low acidity, and Bodegas Manzanos found its whites a little more Mediterranean, with slightly lower acidity, more volume and stone fruit in place of herbal notes.

• Reds: good color, black fruit, surprising freshness, fine and intense tannins
• Whites and rosados: correct aromatic definition and surprising freshness
• A better vintage for reds than whites, in JancisRobinson.com's view

In Ribera del Duero, 2022 was very dry, with 50% less rainfall than average, and marked by extreme temperature swings. The lack of water affected yields and fruit chemistry, and musts were often low in acidity with overripe tannins.

• Ribera del Duero: 50% less rainfall than average and extreme temperature swings
• Musts often low in acidity, with overripe tannins