Bordeaux 2022: tasting the wines from this much-hyped vintage now they are in bottle
Each year I look forward to tasting the most recently bottled vintage of Bordeaux. These wines will have been shown to the press during the en primeur week and a bit in March/April following the vintage (so in this case March 2023). But this is very soon to be assessing wines, and, of course they are all in barrel. It’s interesting to get an impression of a vintage, but it’s silly to be scoring the wines at this early stage, and especially when these scores will go on to have an anchoring effect on subsequent write ups.
The tasting of bottled Bordeaux is put on by the Union des Grands Crus, and includes most of the top names. But not participating in this exercise are some of the fancy properties – first growths plus ambitious Châteaux such as Palmer, Pontet-Canet, Cos d’Estournel and Léoville Les Cases. It’s a shame they aren’t involved, but such is life, and there were plenty of brilliant producers in this line up. Tasting a lot of wines in one sitting can make it a challenge to detect nuances, so of all the wines on offer, I focused solely on the left bank, and didn’t try the whites or Sauternes. 72 wines in one session is quite a lot; if I’d tasted them all I think my palate would have been pushed a little too far with such young, tannic wines.
2022 was much hyped at primeur time, when people seem to be making up their mind about a vintage. It was thought to be a bit of a miracle year, because it was one of the hottest and driest on record – the weather summary for Bordeaux 2022 certainly wouldn’t have read like a prescription for an ideal year. The miracle is that despite an unusually dry and warm vintage, the vines didn’t suffer too much – there was talk in the region that the vines had learned from previous hot years, and now show much more resilience. With some rainfall in June and then nothing more save a couple of August showers, they managed to keep going – not shutting down because of the hot days, like they did in 2003 – and the resulting wines have a surprising degree of freshness to them. In a way, this is a story similar to that of Bourgogne in 2022 – a hot, dry vintage, but freshness in the wines.
Is this a great vintage? I’m not sure it’s ‘great’, but it’s really good. It seems to be a consistent vintage, and this is reflected in the rather narrow spread of my scores here. This, of course, is a selected sample of Bordeaux wines, but even so, you can’t go too far wrong. You could have a nice evening with any one of these bottles. They have a sense of deliciousness to them.
My impression is that the standard is consistently high, but the warmth of the vintage has meant that the highs don’t go quite as high as in other really good vintages where full ripeness was only just reached.
Graves
Château Ferrande 2022 Graves
Beautiful blackcurrant aromatics leading to a balanced palate with sweet cherry and blackcurrant fruit and some fine spiciness. Nice depth to this wine with supple, ripe, warm fruit. 92/100
Château Rahoul 2022 Graves
Midweight, ripe, appealing with a core of sweet berry fruits. Nice spicy framing, with an ease to it. Savoury and a bit gravelly on the finish. 91/100
Pessac-Leognan
Château Bouscaut 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Nicely compact with a core of sweet berry fruits and nice blackcurrant hints. This has good structure and is nicely concentrated and balanced with a bit of grip on the finish. Sour cherry edge. 93/100
Château Domaine de Chevalier 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Fleshy with a nice dynamic range, from sweet, sleek berry and black fruits to some nice freshness on the finish with a slight hint of green. This is elegant and fine with some chalkiness and nice depth. Stylish, and with mid-term ageing potential. 94/100
Château Carbonnieux 2022 Pessac-Leognan
There’s a nice chalky undercurrent to the blackcurrant and red berry fruit. This is ripe and nicely structured with good energy and freshness, and a savoury, gravelly finish. Lovely balance and weight here. 94/100
Château De Fieuzal 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Vividly green in places with supple blackcurrant fruit. Nice freshness and showing good structure, but in an approachable style. Lots of fruit here, and could drink very well young. The greenness is a key feature of this wine. 92/100
Château Les Carmes Haut Brion 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Nicely dense with firm structure sitting under the vivid cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Juicy and vibrant with good tannins. Fruity and forward, but structured. 92/100
Château Latour Martillac 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Juicy, bright and fruity with a nice sweet and sour character to the cherry, plum and blackcurrant fruit. Satisfying, juicy and quite savoury on the finish, with moderate concentration. 93/100
Château La Louvière 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Good concentration, depth and freshness here with juicy, energetic cherry and blackcurrant fruit, with a touch of raspberry. This has good structure and acidity, and plenty of tannin to suggest a mid-term ageing potential. 93/100
Château Haut-Bailly 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Lovely flesh and elegance to this wine which shows bright cherry, blackberry and raspberry fruit. Some chalky undercurrents, too. Textural and beautifully constructed without a hint of overextraction, this offers pleasure over the medium term, and perhaps longer. 95/100
Château Château de France 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Nicely concentrated red berry fruits with some nice blackcurrant, showing good definition and freshness. There’s some substance here, with grippy, gravelly tannins but no sense of harshness. Really nicely put together. 94/100
Château Larrivet Haut-Brion 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Sweetly aromatic nose with a hint of raisiny richness adding depth to the berry and black fruits. The palate is ripe and berryish with good density. Has a sweet core to the fruit. 92/100
Château Olivier 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Great concentration here with dense but sweet and well balanced berry and blackcurrant fruit. Lovely intensity with a fine-grained but firm tannic structure. This is quite a wine, offering depth but also balance. 95/100
Château Pape Clément 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Supple, ripe and quite elegant, but has a charry oak note in the background with some roast coffee and spice. Nice intensity here, with good structure. Quite classic, and should age really well when it shakes off the oak. 94/100
Château Malartic-Lagravière 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Great balance here. Some gravelly, tarry structure but also nice freshness and sleek blackcurrant and berry fruits. Shows nice acidity, and everything works together. Very stylish. 94/100
Château Smith Haute Laffite 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Nice core of sweet berry and blackcurrant fruits here, with lushness and pleasure, framed by some gravelly, chalky tannins. Rich and playful, but with seriousness, and stays in balance. 93/100
Château Picque Caillou 2022 Pessac-Leognan
Nicely structured but with a core of sweet, lush berry and blackcurrant fruits. Ripe and expressive with nice freshness. Ripe in style but with balance. 92/100
Listrac-Médoc
Château Clarke 2022 Listrac-Médoc
This is elegant and supple with lovely well balanced blackcurrant and berry fruit. Ripe, fresh and pure, it’s quite classic, and shows real beauty without having to be too intense or structured. 93/100
Château Fonréaud 2022 Listrac-Médoc
Ripe and nicely dense with sweet blackcurrant fruit, some toastiness, a touch of green, and a juicy finish. Very appealing with lots of drinkability. 92/100
Château Fourcas Dupré 2022 Listrac-Médoc
Ripe, sweetly fruited and nicely concentrated. Easy cherry and blackcurrant fruit with appropriate structure and nice fleshiness. Very approachable already, but with some short-term ageing potential. 92/100
Château Fourcas Hosten 2022 Listrac-Médoc
Good concentration here, but also some elegance. Fleshy blackcurrant fruit with some fine spiciness and nice structure. Has mouthfilling tannins and fruit, and really good balance. Quite ripe. 93/100
Moulis-en-Médoc
Château Chasse Spleen 2022 Moulis-en-Médoc
Highly aromatic blackcurrant fruit nose, leads to a nicely dense palate with some smooth fruit and then a bit of grainy tannin. Very stylish and well balanced. 93/100
Château Maucaillou 2022 Moulis-en-Médoc
Some oak and cedar on the nose as well as floral blackcurrant fruit. The palate is fresh with some oak evident but also nice green hints. Stylish and well balanced. 91/100
Château Poujeaux 2022 Moulis-en-Médoc
Nice definition to this wine, which offers compact berry and blackcurrant fruit with nice density and structure. Youthful and primary, but with some potential for development. Grippy but fleshy. 93/100
Haut-Médoc
Château Beaumont 2022 Haut-Médoc
Nice density to the gravel and chalk-edge blackcurrant fruit here. Really satisfying with ripeness but also definition. Nice richness and will be good to go soon. 93/100
Château Belgrave 2022 Haut-Médoc
There’s some freshness and structure here sitting under the ripe, dense blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Satisfying and nicely dense with a twist of green. Has angles. 93/100
Château Camensac 2022 Haut-Médoc
Good flesh here with some structure, too. A dense, quite compact wine offering sweet fruit and nice tannins, with lovely richness on the midpalate. 93/100
Château Cantermerle 2022 Haut-Médoc
This is ripe and rich, but in a classic style. Lovely density of lush, ripe blackcurrant fruit, hemmed in by some nice tannins and some spiciness. Expressive, offering a lot of pleasure. Really impressive. 94/100
Château Citran 2022 Haut-Médoc
Fleshy but quite structured with nicely concentrated sweet berry and blackcurrant fruit. Some savoury olive and herb notes in the mix, too. Lovely wine. 93/100
Château Coufran 2022 Haut-Médoc
Midweight and sweetly fruited with some oak in the mix. Has a hint of aniseed as well as sweet blackberry fruit. Plush. 91/100
Château La Lagune 2022 Haut-Médoc
Rich and ripe with sweet fruit and notes of olive and rosemary, as well as some lushness to the berry fruit. Forward and immediate, this offers a lot of pleasure. 91/100
Château De Lamarque 2022 Haut-Médoc
Ripe, plush blackcurrant and berry fruits here with some richness and a slightly charred, roast coffee note and a twist of greenness. Sweet and sour. 90/100
Médoc
Château La Tour de By 2022 Médoc
This is very stylish. Ripe, lush and full with a core of sweet blackcurrant and red berry fruits, showing seamless integration of all the components. Ripe, stylish, quite elegant, and well balanced. 94/100
Margaux
Château Angludet 2022 Margaux
Nicely defined spicy blackcurrant fruit nose with lovely poise. The palate is concentrated and elegant with good density, showing lush, ripe blackcurrant fruit with some berry fruits and a touch of spice. Very stylish. Ripe but refined. 94/100
Château Dauzac 2022 Margaux
There’s quite good structure here, with some notes of gravel and chalk under the sweet, ripe palate. Nice intensity with lovely berry and cherry fruit. Stylish, finishing fresh with a slight saltiness. 93/100
Château Desmirail 2022 Margaux
Highly aromatic with a nice green edge to the sweet berry fruits. The palate has more of this green character, giving freshness juxtaposed with very lush, ripe fruit. Has an ease to it. 92/100
Château Brane-Cantenac 2022 Margaux
This is fleshy and ripe with nice plush cherry and plum fruit, with some saltiness and nice intensity. Sweet fruit core, some ash and gravel, and a slight bitterness on the finish. 92/100
Château Cantenac-Brown 2022 Margaux
Vivid and fresh with nice tart blackcurrant and cherry fruit. There’s richness on the mid-palate, but the finish has some structure and freshness with a twist of bitterness. Nice core of sweet fruit. 92/100
Château Lascombes 2022 Margaux
This shows great concentration of lush, bold blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with real depth and richness. Grippy and chalky textured, with amazing concentration and depth. Very impressive in this ripe style. 95/100
Château Marquis d’Alesme Becker 2022 Margaux
Beautiful concentration and also wonderful balance and poise. Good structure and freshness under dense, ripe blackcurrant fruit. Tannic, but these are fine tannins. So stylish. 96/100
Château Giscours 2022 Margaux
Fresh and aromatic with lovely blackcurrant fruit showing nice density and structure. Lovely balance to this wine. Classic and delicious, and with nice ageing potential. 94/100
Château Kirwan 2022 Margaux
Fleshy and fine but with good density. This shows sweet blackcurrant fruit with some cherry florality, and appropriate structure. Fleshy and fine with nice balance. 94/100
Château Labégorce 2022 Margaux
Grainy and detailed with nice structure under the sweet blackcurrant fruit with some red berry freshness. Compact and tight wound, but with potential. 92/100
Château Marquis de Terme 2022 Margaux
Lovely brightness to this wine with sweet, lively blackcurrant and berry fruit showing nice focus and depth. Lovely fruit here. 93/100
Château Rauzan-Gassies 2022 Margaux
Hints of olive and cured meat add a savoury twist to the ripe, dense blackcurrant fruit. A rich style with lovely sweet fruit at its core and good density. 93/100
Château Rauzan-Ségla 2022 Margaux
Grippy and substantial with firm structure sitting under ripe, lush blackcurrant fruit. Generous and full with good energy and nice tannins. Stylish and with ageing potential. 94/100
Château Monbrison 2022 Margaux
Some spicy, cedary, roast coffee oak on the nose alongside sweet black fruits. The palate is vivid and dense with lovely blackcurrant fruit. Has ripeness and also some energy. 93/100
Château Prieuré-Lichine 2022 Margaux
Fleshy and expressive with sweet blackcurrant fruit and some fine green hints, finishing with well-integrated, subtly grippy tannins. Very approachable and refined. 93/100
Château Siran 2022 Margaux
Good concentration of ripe fruit here with some grippy but refined tannins. Rich and ripe with bold fruit and nice density. Stylish and with good ageing potential. 94/100
Château de Terte 2022 Margaux
Ripe and fleshy with nice texture. A core of sweet fruit here with a touch of chalkiness to the texture. Good concentration here. Satisfying. 93/100
Saint-Julien
Château Beychevelle 2022 Saint-Julien
Aromatic blackcurrant fruit with some olive and spice. The palate shows concentration, ripeness and depth. Has an almost mediterranean feel to it, with herb and olive laden blackcurrant fruit. So appealing. 94/100
Château Gruaud Larose 2022 Saint-Julien
This is bright with lovely blackcurrant fruit and some nice fleshiness. Has lovely fruit intensity with black cherries, blackberries and some nice spiciness. Very stylish. Brooding but ripe. 94/100
Château Branaire Ducru 2022 Saint-Julien
Grainy and gravelly with a core of sweet blackcurrant fruit, showing nice flesh and sweet fruit, with some savoury framing. 92/100
Château Lagrange 2022 Saint-Julien
Ripe and dense but with freshness and flesh, showing nicely concentrated blackcurrant and berry fruit, with appropriate structure. Good balance. 93/100
Château Gloria 2022 Saint-Julien
Some smoky oak in the mix, adding coffee and cedar, but also showing lovely dense blackcurrant fruit with good structure and freshness on the finish. 92/100
Château Saint-Pierre 2022 Saint-Julien
This is really good: focused and well defined with nice chalky, gravelly structure under the sweet blackcurrant fruit. Nice concentration and balance, slightly bitter on the finish, but with ageing potential. 94/100
Château Talbot 2022 Saint-Julien
Fleshy and bight with a slight green edge to the plush blackcurrant and berry fruit. Has nice definition and focus. Very stylish. 93/100
Château Langoa Barton 2022 Saint-Julien
grippy and well defined with plush blackcurrant fruit, a slight green egde, and good structure. Nice intensity here, finishing fresh. 93/100
Château Léoville-Barton 2022 Saint-Julien
Classic style with good concentration, showing green-framed blackcurrant fruit with good structure and freshness. Very stylish and with ageing potential. 94/100
Château Léoville Poyferré 2022 Saint-Julien
Good concentration with some charry oak in the background. Lots of ripe, sweet blackcurrant and berry fruit here, with nice depth. 92/100
Pauillac
Château Batailley 2022 Pauillac
Nice concentration with structured blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with a core of sweet fruit and some spicy framing. Good density to this wine, with lovely balance. 93/100
Château Clerc Milon 2022 Pauillac
Fleshy and bright with sweet blackcurrant fruit as well as plenty of structure, although this is masked by the sweet fruit. Has ageing potential. 93/100
Château D’Armailhac 2022 Pauillac
Sweetly fruited with some firm structure under the blackcurrant fruit. This has good balance with a core of nicely proportioned fruit. Ripe but with balance and ageing potential. 93/100
Château Croizet-Bages 2022 Pauillac
Fresh with some oak in the mix. Has a green edge to the dense blackcurrant fruit. Sweet and sour. 92/100
Château Duhart-Milon 2022 Pauillac
Dense and ripe but well defined with bright blackcurrant and berry fruits. Has a subtle green edge that works well. Nice classic style, with a core of ripe fruit but good definition. 93/100
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2022 Pauillac
Grippy and firm with nice dense blackcurrant fruit. Quite compact and unyielding but with lots of potential, showing lovely balance to the fruit. 94/100
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2022 Pauillac
Supple bright blackcurrant fruit here with nice sweetness, but also good structure and some fine green hints. So nicely put together, and with potential for ageing. Very stylish. 94/100
Château Haut Batailley 2022 Pauillac
Lovely blackcurrant fruit core here, with nice concentration and intensity. While the fruit is ripe, there’s plenty of structure, and the overall impression is of a classically weighted Bordeaux with good future potential. 94/100
Château Lynch-Bages 2022 Pauillac
Grippy and gravelly with nice density and weight showing beautifully structured blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with balance and poise, but also lots of latent energy and ageing potential. Very stylish. 95/100
Château Lynch-Moussas 2022 Pauillac
Nice gravelly undertones to the supple blackcurrant and cherry fruit. Quite open and appealing with some structure but also lots of flesh. 93/100
Château Pichon Baron 2022 Pauillac
Beautiful aromatics here with some olive and rosemary supporting the sweet cherry and blackberry fruit. In the mouth this is ripe and rich with lush berry and blackcurrant fruit, and a sense of elegance. Very stylish. 95/100
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2022 Pauillac
Ripe, lush and expressive with bold, sweet cherry and berry fruit with some plush blackcurrant notes, too. Nicely elegant and refined with an elegant character. Lots of pleasure here. 95/100
