03. CRITICAL CONSENSUS

Critics have all now chimed in with their views on the 2022 vintage,

with all agreeing that the vintage’s quality & freshness was a surprise given the extreme weather conditions during the growing season. There was unanimous agreement that 2022 contains number potentially perfect wines, and some of the best offerings from particular châteaux ever, though all agree that the vintage lacks the uniform excellence of vintages like 2016 and 2010. A selection of critical highlights can be found below.

Neal Martin, Vinous

“Is 2022 the real deal? Kind of. Depends. Yeah, I guess so. The 2022 vintage contains what I often refer to as “snow-capped peaks”. If you want to get numerical, wines that may eventually merit perfect scores that I rarely give out. The creme de la creme is blessed with kaleidoscopic aromatics, intense fruit, finely-sculpted tannins, structure, elegance and length. Above all, contrary to waht the growing season implied, they are sufused with freshness. They immediately tempt you back to the glass for another sip. The highest performers will dazzle. They will be extroverts, show-offs whose talent cannot be denied. They’re not warbling Neil Youngs.

They’re Freddie Mercury strutting the stage. The best will rock you”.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

“Everyone who has tasted the wines will agree that the quality and character of the 2022 vintage in Bordeaux is a surprise. How did conditions so extreme deliver wines of such aromatic range and freshness? How can wines of such density and structure exhibit such textural refinement and charm? Bordeaux has produced some monumental wines in 2022, but unlike many of the great vintages of the 20th century, the year was not a rising tide that raised all boats [though] at its best, this is a vintage of remarkable concentration, energy and harmony”.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

“This is, however much you try to resist the term, an extraordinary vintage. It’s not one without challenges, and the words ‘earliest harvest since 1893’ tend to scare off most people who look for balance in their wines. Looking back on the past month of tasting, there’s no doubt there’s drama here, in many cases way too much of it. But there is also plenty to love, and slowly but surely, these wines have won me over. One thing for sure is that 2022 is a vintage that will be referenced for many years to come, and I’ve tasted many exceptional wines that are truly worth getting excited about”.

Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com

“The most common word to describe these embryonic 2022s? ‘Surprising’. Just what was going on in the millions of Merlot and Cabernet vines growing in the Gironde department? The wines are certainly extremely impressive. After such a hot summer, there is no escaping the fairly high alcohol levels – typically over 14% – even if some vines stopped ripening for a certain period when conditions became just too hot and dry for photosynthesis to continue. But the lack of rain staved off the fungal diseases to which vines are prone so the grapes were reliably healthy, and the weather was so fine during late August and September that estate managers could decide exactly when each plot of each variety should ideally be picked, rather than being rushed by the threat of rain. But the fact that the wines are so impressive, and relatively consistent (even those from properties on well-drained soils that one would expect to suffer most in a drought year), will presumably encourage proprietors in their usual habit of increasing prices every year”.