Vintage 2022

After the travails of the frost-damaged, low-yielding 2021 vintage in France, 2022 brought welcome relief in the form of good yields and full-flavoured yet fresh and elegant wines across the country’s major winegrowing regions.

Bordeaux was a highlight. The general consensus was that 2022 was among the finest vintages of the last 50 years. Though the whole Bordeaux winegrowing region fared well in this solar vintage, it was a Right Bank year: the water-retentive clay of vineyards in St-Emilion and Pomerol helping properties to produce contenders for the wines of the vintage.

Winemakers in Burgundy celebrated a return to almost normal yields in 2022. In general, reds were expressively fruity with silky tannins and a classic elegance, suitable for drinking young or for medium-term ageing. Whites were similarly generous yet fresh and elegant, with particular successes in appellations like Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault.

Italy faced generally hot, dry conditions in 2022 – it was one of the driest years on record for Italy, in fact – resulting in low yields but high quality. Nebbiolo in Piedmont adapted well, producing full-bodied wines with excellent potential for long-term ageing.

Many Spanish regions were affected by drought and heat stress; this translated to full-bodied, powerful Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines, with Garnacha particularly resilient against the climatic stresses of the vintage.

Across the globe, 2022 was characterised by erratic weather and pressure from intense heat and drought. California experienced an extraordinary Labour Day heat spike, with record-breaking temperatures of up to 47C, but ultimately the region produced a vintage of highly concentrated and exceptional wines, particularly those made from Cabernet Sauvignon.