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PREMIUM

Bordeaux 2022: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Read our report on the Bordeaux 2022 vintage and see our top-scoring wines after tasting hundreds of barrel samples across the region.

Bordeaux 2022 preliminary rating:

Reds: 4/5 

Dry white wines and Sauternes: 3.5 & 3.5/5

Bordeaux 2022 summary: Unprecedented hot and dry conditions led to small yields, highly concentrated wines with big tannin potential. Some vines suffered in the drought but many grapes adapted early on and, with careful and sensitive viticulture, were able to stay active and green until harvest with small but healthy berries. Picking dates and gentle extraction were crucial with varied strategies for vinifications and preserving acidity. Where successful, the best examples show surprising freshness and supreme charm with a large number of wines that are both immensely appealing and approachable but will also age.


We’ve now published 707 reviews online for Decanter Premium subscribers, with 220 more to come, including 60 dry whites and Sauternes.


With any new Bordeaux vintage there’s the inevitable hype – it’s the most scrutenised wine region in the world with more than 7,000 people coming this April to taste, rate and give their opinions on the new wines.

The year presented never-seen-before climatic conditions, with ‘earliest ever’ harvests, and nail bitting decisions throughout the year regarding vineyard management, cover crop usage, deleafing strategies, picking dates, maceration lengths and temperatures and ultimately the preparation of primeur samples – many the final blends but not all.

Invariably there are differences in consensus with stylistic preferences taken into account, context of estate improvement and quality compared to recent vintages, as well as wines changing depending on age of sample and environmental conditions, but 2022 has produced some genuinely unbelieveable wines that are worthy of hyperbole.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Bordeaux 2022 en primeur wines

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Cabernet grapes during Bordeaux 2022 harvest

Healthy Cabernet grapes at Château Cheval Blanc during Bordeaux 2022 harvest in September



See tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Bordeaux 2022 en primeur wines:


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