Bordeaux En Primeur: Yielding to Merlot
Yields are down. A common colloquialism among many in the supply side of the wine world. Since wine crops are so measurable, people do not just say this to garner sympathy—it is usually a meaningful data point to help measure quality of a vintage and the marketplace for the wine. But low yields are a symptom that can be ascribed to many different reasons, good and bad. In some regions, low yields are a badge of honor—they make the most concentrated fruit by “green harvesting,” dedicating each plant’s energy to relatively few bunches and berries. In others, small yields are a sign of frost, mildew, or other calamities in the vineyard that will often dilute the quality of the final product. In 2018, we saw a bunch of low yields tied to a diehard dedication to biodynamics, where lost fruit left a miniscule but potent crop of one-of-a-kind fruit. All of these conditions create the same symptom—low yields—but each tells a completely different story.
2022 yields are down because of record small berry weight, especially in Cabernet. This means there is less wine to be had in the vintage; but contrary to recent short vintages, it is not one of calamity, more of climate. The result of small berries is a high ratio of skins to juice, meaning you have an elevated potential for a tannic wine. This is where Merlot comes in as a foil to Cabernet, and we’ve found that many top performing wines have a higher proportion of Merlot than normal. But there’s always a price to pay—by softening some of the top wines via the relegation of a proportion of Cabernet (or Petit Verdot, as was often the case in 2022), the result is a second or third wine that contains those characteristics that were so deftly avoided in the grand vin.
One of the other interesting twists that has defined this season has been the acidities that come along with the ripeness and concentration. The phrase of 2022 is that winemakers were “surprised by the results of the vintage,” mostly due to the fact that hot vintages usually don’t behave like this—for all the heat of the season, vines somehow still produced wines with naturally high acidities, sometimes reaching the level of the 2021 before it. That is no easy feat for a wine that often contains two degrees more alcohol and ripeness that is night-and-day different than its predecessor.
The wines from Margaux and St-Julien that we tasted today further the interesting case study in the dichotomy of 2022. For every well-proportioned wine, there is another that comes off extracted, hot, and chewy. The idea of “freshness and purity” that we’ve been being pitched for the vintage is something we’ve surely found, but it is not a sure thing. In other words, it is a year that is capable of producing some masterful wines, many that will challenge some standard bearers from a given estate. But in general, the landmines seem more frequent, while the magic of this extreme vintage isn’t coming through as clearly as promised. It is a heterogeneous vintage, without a doubt.
Branaire-Ducru is one of the success stories, crafting one of the most finessed wines that levels up on the back of the year’s conditions. While other examples from the region were full of chewy black fruits, the red-fruited brightness of 2022 Brainare was immensely refreshing and took a delicate touch. Gruaud Larosse, usually a traditional stalwart that hasn’t always convinced me, showed great typicité, texture, and acid. Saint Pierre also took a turn away from a more darkly fruited profile and modern approach, showing restraint and brightness.
In Margaux, it seemed like everybody was ready to push the limits with their wines, and many went over the top. I think that Malescot faced this challenge beautifully and hit the perfect mix of ripeness, sweetness of fruit, impressive aromatics, and textural refinement. It hinted at being heavy but balanced gracefully at every turn. I can imagine Malescot 2022 making a lot of fans right out of the gate and living up to their benchmark vintages from years past. Rauzan-Segla is another worth mentioning, as it is a behemoth, but somehow retained balance. I called it opulent but grounded, and might have also likened it to the 2016 on steroids. Somehow, it retains its balance through waves of mouthwatering fruit, shows a wonderful sense of place, and exemplifies how a 2022 can hit great heights.
Today was our last day on the Left Bank until we return to Pessac later in the week. It was also the first time we started hearing murmurs about some of the promise of the Right Bank. If Merlot is as unimpeachable as people are saying, we might be in line for a set of stunning wines. It could also fall victim to the high-octane tendencies of some of the usual suspects. That said, our enthusiasm and expectations are reserved until we get our hands on the wines. Until then, we leave the Left Bank tastings with the same feeling as yesterday—there are great wines, but there’s still a lot to prove to call it a great vintage, especially one that will merit premium pricing.