Burgundy 2022: What to expect
In a first look at the Burgundy 2022 vintage, and ahead of the annual report coming later this year, our correspondent Charles Curtis MW assesses the weather conditions throughout the growing season and shares his opinions on the region's wines following initial tastings.
Fortunately for wine lovers, the news from Burgundy this year is overwhelmingly positive. The quality of the 2022 vintage is very good, and the crop generally was abundant. If prices realistically are not going to decline, neither will they climb as much as they have in recent years.
With the 2021 vintage, the focus was on ‘catastrophic’ frost damage and 80% losses. This year, Burgundians have a single word to sum up their new harvest: ‘generous’.
It is always risky to rush to judgment before a new vintage is in bottle. Still, in my recent visits to Burgundy, I have tasted over 500 examples of the new vintage, and I am starting to have a feel for the vintage.
The direction is up: more quantity, more body, more richness, more alcohol (but not too much more). There is less acidity, but not alarmingly less. If last year was a ‘classic’ Burgundian year, then this year, the pendulum has decidedly swung back to ‘global warming’ territory.
The sunny tendency of the year, however, was fortunately tempered by well-timed rainfall, and the grapes did not suffer drought stress or sunburn as they have in some of the earlier ‘global warming’ vintages.
Overall, the vintage produced 1.75 million hectolitres, or about 230 million bottles of wine, according to the BIVB. This figure is an increase of 20% on the rolling five-year average, and an increase of 65% over the 2021 harvest, providing a much-needed respite for winegrowers here.
Weather in 2022
The quick read is that 2022 was the hottest, the driest, and the sunniest year since 1900. As we have seen in recent years, this type of weather can play havoc with yields, 2022, however, was saved by a large rain event in June and a smaller one in August.
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Although the winter before the growing season was colder than normal, February and March were warm before temperatures plunged again in April. The sudden chill brought a risk of frost in the first third of the month, but the damage was largely avoided. After the chilly April, though, temperatures remained above normal until the end of the harvest.
The season was also dry. The region began with a water deficit, with less rain than normal from January until almost the end of June. Between the 21st and the 25th of June, however, a series of storms dumped roughly the equivalent of an entire summer’s rainfall in a few short days.
The amounts varied widely, but this last week in June saw anywhere from 100mm to 150mm of rain. There were localised episodes of hail during these storms, but fortunately not enough to cause widespread damage.
After the deluge, the drought. The weather in July returned to hot, sunny and dry, and these conditions persisted until mid-August when a series of smaller storms in the third week relieved the dry conditions, and a brief soaking on the 30th plumped the grapes just before the harvest.
Rainfall from January through September was about 20% less than normal, but the heavy rains in June ensured enough water for the vines through the heat of the summer.
The picking began as early as 16 August for crémant and started in earnest for the reds and whites of the Côte d’Or after the showers of 30 August. Most of the grapes were in by mid-September. The Hospices de Beaune, for example, concluded their picking on 16 September in late-ripening St-Romain.
Style in 2022
The weather in 2022 produced ripe, very healthy grapes. Opinion was split on acidity, with some winemakers claiming plenty of freshness while others spoke of high pH (and thus low acidity).
Jérôme Flous, the technical director Faiveley charged with overseeing both the vineyards and the winemaking, noted an average pH of 3.40 in the reds of the Côte Chalonnaise (near perfect) and an average of 3.60 in the Côte d’Or (high, but not dangerously so).
He described the harvest: ‘Potential alcohol at harvest averaged 13%, as in 2017, with a range from 12.8% – 13.3%. The pH levels were a bit high (even up to 3.80 in places). In the end, the fruit in the Côte d’Or is as ripe as it was in 2018, but there is more tannin and structure, while the grapes in the Côte Chalonnaise, where we had a nearly perfect year, was more like 2019’.
Frédéric Barnier, technical director at Louis Jadot, reported overall pH and acidity levels in the finished wine are in line with those of 2021, but he notes that the level of malic acid was low, and thus he blocked the malolactic conversion that had been necessary the year before.
Producers working with old vines often reported very few problems with the dry weather. Jean Lupatelli, the technical director at Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, noted that although there was a large crop of grapes, it ripened thoroughly, if somewhat slowly.
He commented that his older vines remained a vigorous green throughout the season and that there was no drought-related blockage of ripening in the summer despite the heat, reporting moderate yields of 30 hl/ha, potential alcohol levels that hovered around 13% and pH between 3.30 – 3.40, thus correct in every respect.
The abundant crop, the reserves of water delivered in June, and the sunny, warm weather all conspired to produce ripe, supple fruit without the excess alcohol or concentration that one has seen in some recent vintages.
While the wines may lack the sheer power of the 2019 vintage, or the titanic concentration of the 2018, it should generally provide the elegance of the 2017 vintage with more ripeness and fruit—a delightful prospect indeed.
Red Burgundy
2022 is a very good to excellent vintage, according to the terroir. The wines generally will have a moderately deep colour, with a ripe, lush, forward red and black fruit character. For the most part they should avoid sunburnt ‘prune-like’ character and cooked fruit aromas and should be more focused on fresh fruit and floral notes.
Alcohol levels will mostly be moderate, and acidity is often balanced rather than noticeably fresh or flat. The wines will be medium to full in body, with firm but supple tannins that support the wine without astringency or bitterness. The wines should be approachable fairly young, but the best should age nicely over the mid-to long-term.
The best terroirs will be those on the slope and at elevation. The Côte de Nuits is more broadly successful than the Côte de Beaune because there was more rain, and the grapes suffered less from drought stress.
There should be good value throughout the range. Many agree that prices for top wines and entry-level wines will likely remain steady, while prices for good village-level wines and premier-cru level wines may even soften a bit.
Reds from the Côte Chalonnaise may present an exceptional quality/price ratio. A key strategy to capture value at every level will be to buy early, with lesser wines for drinking soon and better wines for cellaring.
White Burgundy
Some experts have called 2022 better for whites than for reds. Other authorities disagree and feel that the slightly higher pH/lower acidity means that wines lack the nervous energy of the best years.
The wines tend to be sunny, generous, round and lush. They will have more ripe apple and pear aromas than lemon or lime, yet they seldom seem to veer into pineapple or mango territory.
Because of the size of the crop, the grapes ripened, but not to excess. Slightly lower acidity levels mean the wines will be approachable young, but there should be enough structure for at least mid-term ageing.
Despite the ripeness of the year I did not see any excessive alcohol levels in any region due to the large crop size. The wines will likely be full in body but not heavy or harsh.
The best terroirs for whites are also higher on the slope: choose Chevalier over Bâtard, for example, or Meursault Blagny over Meursault Charmes-Dessous. Tasting suggests that the cooler terroirs in the Mâconnais, such as Vergisson or Mâcon-Pierreclos, have produced some exciting results.
Because of the abundant crop, prices for entry-level wines should be reasonable and they should be lovely for early drinking. Choose wines to age with care.