Bordeaux 2022 in de pers

Ook dit jaar besteden wijnrecensenten weer uitgebreide aandacht aan het nieuwste oogstjaar 2022 in Bordeaux. Op deze pagina verzamelen we de meest treffende quotes van de wijnrecensenten om een goed beeld te schetsen van het oogstjaar. Dit overzicht wordt bijgewerkt zodra er nieuwe informatie beschikbaar komt.

Bijgewerkt: 22 mei 2023

William Kelley (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate)

"Everyone who has tasted the wines will agree that the quality and character of the 2022 vintage in Bordeaux is a surprise."

"At its best, this is a vintage of remarkable concentration, energy and harmony … the less-successful wines are jammy, astringent and rustic."

"While the 2022 vintage is a superb year for red wines in Bordeaux, the white wines are less inspiring. … most of the 2022 white wines are likely to be at their best young."

"While 2022 has produced plenty of great wines, its heterogeneity means that it is not a year to buy blind."

"Those who pushed extraction, or who simply followed their usual recipe, frequently produced chunky, astringent wines."

"It is also worth noting that the quality of second wines is especially high … The best second wines in 2022 often exhibit similar structure and texture to their grand vincounterparts, something that isn’t always the case, and they merit more serious consideration than usual this year."

James Suckling

"It was one of the hottest and driest growing seasons in the history of France’s most famous wine region, yet it produced thousands of opulent and structured but still fresh and balanced wines."

"They [the winemakers] also focused on picking their grapes at optimal ripeness, with this “al dente” fruit giving a crunchy and clean character to the wines, with fine yet structured tannins."

"Their 2022 wines can be flamboyant, fruity and tannic, yet they have a freshness and form that give them energy and vitality."

"The 2022 is not the same as 1982, but its wines share some of the attractive youthful character, even though strong tannins are hidden under the fruit. The wines of 2022 also share some of the character of wines from recent hot vintages like 2015, 2018 and 2020 as well as the tannins of 2016."

"...the best quality wines of 2022 had exceptional fruit and freshness as well as fine and intense tannins. A few were overdone, and I marked down some big names for wines with too much tannin and/or too much fruit."

"My only concern – and that of a number of Bordeaux winemakers I spoke to – is how the wine will age in cellars. The reds already show such balance and harmony that I feel a sense of fragility in them."

"Most winemakers I spoke to said that they would be more reductive in their aging and reduce the wines’ exposure to oxygen, new wood, handling and sulfur."

"...the greatness of the 2022 vintage for sweet wines, with a short but concentrated development of botrytis in mid-October."

Jancis Robinson & James Lawther (JancisRobinson.com)

"…deeply coloured reds with strong structure but tannins that are silky and smooth, fragrant fruit and, most surprisingly, a freshness that provides balance. Alcohols are on the high side (13.5% to 14.5% on the left bank and up to 15% on the right) and the vine clearly suffered in some terroirs (compromised maturity and dry tannins) but the overall picture is extremely positive. Indeed, there are some exceptional reds and for the whites some fine, rich Sauternes with only the dry whites generally under par."

"Merlot has added an extra dimension to blends on the left bank (and done well in Merlot-centric appellations such as Listrac) but its biggest success was on the clay-limestone soils of the right bank, in particular the St-Émilion plateau and côtes. … Cabernet Franc was also successful on the right bank in 2022 adding colour, floral fragrance, freshness and length. Combined with Merlot it has produced some stunning wines, even away from the limestone plateau…"

"Regarding the dry whites… at best it seems to be a middling year."

"Some of these dry white Pessac-Léognans were just too rich and ripe for comfort."

"As to the vins liquoreux of Sauternes and Barsac, there is good news to report… The wines themselves are rich, the residual sugar turning on average around 140 g/l …, with pure fruit flavours. Acidities are low but the botrytis provides a bitter-edged freshness for balance."

"I’d say the vintage is in the same league as 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, better or not it is too early to say. Finding a comparison, however, is difficult. It’s different from those just mentioned and the nearest I can propose is a blend of the structured 2016 with the affable 2009."

"All in all, I found the characteristics of most of the appellations respected. Pauillac and St-Estèphe exuded power and concentration and St-Julien mellow fruit and a certain distinction. Margaux, as is often the case, was more varied, the terroir and winemaking playing a part, but also the higher alcohol, which provided more power."

"All told, whatever the denomination, these are wines for long ageing..."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent)

"The consistency of quality is just one surprise to come out of this vintage of extremes. The other amazing twist is the styles. There is a luminosity to many of the wines from 2022 that defies what we thought we knew about Bordeaux varieties."

"...there are many good, sweet wines and a few extraordinary achievements from that neck of the woods..."

"As for dry whites, a knee-jerk reaction to write them all off as uninspiring because it was such a hot vintage would be foolish. There are some true bright sparks from some of the coolest sites that are well worth seeking out..."

"...alcohol levels … in most cases, are not excessive compared to most 2018s and some 2019s."

Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

"The best 2022s are magnificent, viscerally thrilling wines that show what is possible with thoughtful approaches to viticulture and winemaking. A number of properties at all levels made their best wines ever. But 2022 is not consistently great from top to bottom, so some selection is warranted."

"The wines are even more surprising, as they do not correspond at all to the archetypes of vintages with these hot, dry conditions."

"I expected to find rich, opulent wines in the style of other warm years, like 2009 or 2018. Far from it. The best 2022s combine flavor intensity, energy and finesse in a way that I can only describe as magical."

"With some exceptions, the 2022s are generally not big, imposing wines, but instead deliver notable depth and freshness without excess weight."

"Beyond the very best wines, quality starts to become less consistent. Some 2022s feel overly tannic, as if yields were too low to make balanced wines. Alcohols in some wines are higher than the norm for Bordeaux, but generally not as high as in 2018. Acidities are on the lower side, typically lower than in 2018."

"With some notable exceptions, I am less enthusiastic about the dry whites and Sauternes."

"There is little doubt that the best wines in 2022 are stunningly brilliant."

"Readers will find a number of compelling wines in Saint-Estèphe. … Pauillac is unquestionably one of the stars in 2022. … Saint-Julien produced a number of magnificent 2022s. … There is some variability in the wines of Margaux, where the radiant intensity of the year is very much in evidence. … Pessac-Léognan is full of highlights."

"Saint-Émilion is a large appellation, so it is not a surprise that it yielded a number of magnificent wines."

Jane Anson

"You’ll find plenty of luscious wines..."

"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."

"Generally I found the 2nd wines more successful in the northern than southern Médoc as a whole..."

Neal Martin (Vinous)

"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."

"Above all, contrary to what the growing season implied, they are suffused with freshness."

"They will be extroverts, show-offs whose talent cannot be denied."

"It is not a vintage that articulates terroirs with profound clarity."

"But there are caveats. Generally, after 2021, Bordeaux returns to higher alcohol levels, often above 14% and touching 15%, though thankfully, it feels less blowsy than in 2018. I kind of missed the freshness and transparency of last year, not to mention that higher alcohol levels become fatiguing when drinking in quantity rather than small sips. Some wines exhibit mismatches of phenolic and alcoholic ripeness, resulting in “sweet ‘n sour” wines with spiky vegetal codas."

"In terms of dry whites, it’s a so-so season. … They’re not bad, but they play second fiddle to the reds."

"For Sauternes, it’s a very good vintage rather than an exceptional one. It marks a return to higher residual sugar levels, rich and unctuous Sauternes that are occasionally excellent but maybe miss the complexity of the very greatest."

"The wines are generally deep and bright in color. Aromatics are unabashedly floral with black fruit rather than red, often extremely perfumed."

"Unlike 2019 and 2020, most wines, particularly within its higher ranks, are predestined for long-term aging."

Georgina Hindle (Decanter)

"...a surprisingly large number of vineyards and their growers prevailed against the odds to create a wealth of exceptional wines in 2022."

"....the vintage is far from homogeneous, although there are fantastic wines across the board offering something for everyone in 2022."

"Styles vary considerably from fine and elegant, to opulent and hedonistic."

"There are exceptional red wines full of ripe fruit flavours and intense tannins, but despite some high pHs, have great levels of freshness with energy and definition. Excellent ageability and paradoxically brilliant immediacy in terms of drinkability for the more successful. The worst wines demonstrate the potential for excess with too much richness, a lack of acidity and dry tannins."

"White wines are a mixed bag: some exotic and generous others lean and crisp."

"Sweet wines exceed expectations. Growers had to wait longer for botrytis to arrive, considerably extending harvests for estates that produce dry white, red and sweet, but are on the whole extremely rich and luscious with high levels of residual sugar."

"There are exceptional wines in all appellations with particular standouts being Pauillac and St-Julien, as well as St-Emilion. I also found so many delicious and accessible wines in Margaux and there’s great value to be had in wines from the Haut-Médoc and at Cru Bourgeois level. Castillon and Fronsac performed well, too, with their limestone terroir."