2022 will certainly get a reference in the history books as a very uncommon year for white wine producers in Europe. In most areas, there was very little or no rain for a number of months. This did not have as devastating consequences as some feared. In many regions, 2022 will be a year of excellent and even exceptional wines. We took a trip to a number of red wine areas and countries throughout the harvest period and simply after and asked a few of the winemakers what they believed. Here are their comments.
Bordeaux Let’s begin with the Bordeaux vintage 2022. Fabrice Bacquey, wine maker at Chateau Phélan Ségur in Saint Estèphe in Bordeaux:”2022 was an extraordinary year in Bordeaux. We had a hot summer season and high temperatures. The grapes were really ripe. We gathered really early. There was a lot of evaporation. We will have a lot of concentration and density. It will be a special vintage”.
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on the vine, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
Véronique Sanders, president of Château Haut-Bailly in Pessac-Léognan: “2022 will be an extremely great red wine. We had best weather. In regards to quality, it will be a fantastic vintage. In terms of amount, we will miss out on a little bit of it because of the draught. It is extremely appealing.”
Juha Berglund, Château Carsin, Cadillac Côte de Bordeaux: “This year has actually been extremely unusual for many factors. We’ve had a lot of drought, maybe 20 mm of rain since June. This caused a great deal of stress for the vines. Harvest began record early. Now it is practically a guideline that we begin in August. We still (on October 2) have some grapes in the vineyards for the sweet red wine, however despite the fact that we’ve had some rain, the honorable rot has not begun. We did a sweet red wine without noble rot in 1997; perhaps we’ll need to do that this year too. The quality capacity for the red wine is excellent. The tannins are soft, there’s great colour, and we’re getting red wines with flavours of plums and black currants. Considering that my daughter Nea took control of, we have actually been making wines with a bit more tension. The whites will also certainly be good. However both red and white will be lower quantity.”
Listen to more of what they need to say in this video:
Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône Valley Philippe Bernard, owner and wine maker at Clos Saint Louis, Fixin, Burgundy:”This year, I am extremely happy since we get both quality and quantity. 2022 was a difficult vintage, extremely dry and
great deals of sun, however it will be very good.”Flavien Rutat, co-winemaker at Champagne Rutat: “2022 was a truly, actually dry year, with no rain. This offered a lot of troubles for the vinification. The very first tastings of the ‘infant white wine’ exposed remarkably fresh fragrances. We believe it will be good for ageing.”
Alexandre Penet, Champagnes Penet-Chardonnet: “This year’s harvest is excellent. Extremely appealing. The weather condition was a little bit of a problem, but the harvest ended up being fantastic. We’re extremely pleased with the outcomes. We’ll make an outstanding 2022 vintage.”
Pinot noir grapes in a vineyard in Champagne, Cote des Bar, copyright BKWine Photography
copyright BKWine Photography
Kate McKinlay, Domain de Mourchon, Séguret, southern Rhône Valley: “It’s been an extreme vintage, hot and dry. The vines suffered. We were conserved by rain in late August and early September, which came and rehydrated the grapes. We have wonderfully well balanced juice. Lots of sugar but freshness there too. Nice tannins but not too much. Looking really appealing.”
Laure Couturier, Domaine Rabasse-Charavin, Cairanne, southern Rhône Valley: “It may be prematurely to state (about the quality). However I believe it will be an actually good vintage. The grapes were nice, the weather condition was nice, everything was good. It is going to be a great vintage.”
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Austria, Piedmont, Portugal Franz Leth, Weingut Leth, Wagram, Austria: “We selected our grüner veltliner and rieslings in best conditions.
Max Trabitsch, Weingut Jurtschitsch, Langenlois, Austria: “The vintage looks promising. We have high acidity, not as high as 2021, but still good. We have appropriate alcohol, low and not low. This is going to be a great vintage.
Diana Muller, Weingut Muller, Kermstal, Austria: “If the weather condition gods do not provide us drizzle the last days of the harvest, we will have an excellent vintage.” (The remarks were made before all grapes were in from harvest.)
Niki Moser, Weingut Sepp-Moser, Kermstal, Austria: “Harvest began really early because it was a hot and dry vintage. We wished to bring in the grapes with a good material of acidity, and the ripeness existed. The basis is there for a terrific vintage.Sangiovese prepared for
harvest in Tuscany, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography
Vasco Lopes, Pedro Milanos, Douro Valley, Portugal:”It
was a very, really hot year. The grapes were a bit unbalanced and sometimes burned by the sun. But we handled to select earlier than we utilized to. This is the brand-new typical of climate change. We made a nice harvest, and the wines are looking great. They are not as alcoholic as they used to be despite the fact that it was a hot year, which is a bit unusual. I believe the white wines will come out really good. “Flavio Sobrero, Cantina Sobrero Francesco, Barolo, Piedmont:”
this year was hot and dry, but the quality is fantastic. The white wines are incredible. The grapes that got here in the winery were ideal. “Listen to more of what they need to state in this video:– Per Karlsson