A Quick Pre-Primeur Look at the 2022 Bordeaux Vintage
The 2022 Bordeaux vintage has finally arrived, and the wine world is buzzing with anticipation. There are two overwhelming conversations that are leading the way: how did the region handle the intense heat, and what heights will the vintage hit. Many are arguing that the heat was handled better than ever, a mix of lessons learned in a warming climate. Insofar as the overall quality, there are rumors that this is the next banner vintage in the region. But this is why we travel to En Primeur—to separate the hype from reality. We’ll report in over the coming weeks and see just how much this is a vintage that will reward the premium prices we expect to see.
The 2022 vintage in Bordeaux saw a challenging growing season, with early spring frosts, a wet June, and a hot, dry summer. However, as harvest approached, the weather conditions improved dramatically, resulting in a smaller yield but excellent grape quality. The vintage is characterized by powerful, structured wines with intense fruit flavors that are already showing incredibly well at a young stage. Many winemakers have compared the 2022 vintage to 2010, another standout year marked by remarkable balance and aging potential.
Others are quick to defend 2022 it against the failures of 2003. The 2003 vintage is famous for its intense heatwave, which led to high alcohol levels, low acidity, and very ripe fruit flavors. While the 2022 vintage also experienced a hot, dry summer, the significant differences in the growing season, particularly the early spring frosts and wet June, set the two vintages apart. The 2022 vintage wines are potentially more balanced, with higher acidity and more structured tannins than their 2003 counterparts, indicating a better potential for aging. That said, there is a lot of effort being poured in to keep the conversation away from “a hot vintage,” which feels a bit more like spin than truth. There’s certainly some extreme and unprecedented conditions that need to be considered now, and during élevage.
One of the things we’re looking forward to pinning down on our trip is the regional differences. Many early conversations are painting the vintage with a broad stroke, but more often than not, the regional successes and struggles come into relief very quickly. Early reports say that in the Médoc, the 2022 vintage produced wines with excellent tannin structure and dark fruit flavors, thanks to the region's gravelly soils and warm climate. The wines from the Right Bank, including Pomerol and St-Émilion, are marked by their freshness, concentration, and complexity, due to the clay and limestone-rich soils that helped retain moisture during the dry summer months. Pessac saw a lower yield in 2022, but the resulting wines are expected to be elegant and refined, with a beautiful balance between fruit and acidity.
Given the smaller yield, combined with the high quality of the 2022 vintage, it is expected that prices for this year's wines will be higher than average, perhaps above where the 2020s launched. The 2020 vintage is an interesting benchmark, as the high rates tampered consumer excitement a bit, even in a strong economy. There might be even more of a hesitation in this not-a-recession-but-maybe-a-recession economy where inflation has made consumers a bit more demanding with their dollars. All that said, 2020 isn’t the high benchmark for many properties, as that came with the 2009 and 2010 vintages.
The 2022 Bordeaux vintage has the potential to be one of the most memorable in recent history, even with the stiff competition from recent years. Despite challenging weather conditions, winemakers have managed to produce exceptional wines that will undoubtedly be sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike. To what degree they are landmark wines and worth the price of entry, that will be an ongoing conversation that we’re looking forward to having over the next few months. Either way, it is a very compelling vintage, and one that will merit careful attention to find out where it lands: wait and see, or not to be missed?