Cornas & St-Péray 2022: Report and top-scoring wines
Despite the drought and heat producing some level of inconsistency, there are also some successes in Cornas this year thanks to auspicious use of oak, and St-Péray has produced consistent, early-drinking wines. Matt Walls reveals where to head to snap up the top bottles.
Cornas
It was particularly dry in Cornas, with about 100mm of rain between April and harvest, according to Pierre Clape. It’s no surprise therefore that the ripening blockages are felt more keenly here than elsewhere in the north. ‘But the leaves stayed green, in contrast to 2003,’ says Clape.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines
See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores
Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines
Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines
St-Péray
It’s a more consistent vintage in St-Péray, where the wines are generous and will be at their best in their youth.
It was a tough year for Roussanne throughout the northern Rhône, but Marsanne performed well, and tended to produce fresher and more balanced wines than Viognier.
Individual appellation analysis on:
Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu | St-Joseph | Crozes-Hermitage | Hermitage
Rhône 2022 score tables:
All top Rhône 2022 score table
Top-scoring southern Rhône 2022
Top-scoring northern Rhône 2022
Top-scoring Rhône 2022 red wines
Top-scoring Rhône 2022 white wines
Cornas & St-Péray 2022 key producers:
- Franck Balthazar, Cornas
- Domaine Clape, Cornas
- Domaine Vincent Paris, Cornas
- Cave de Tain, St-Péray
- M Chapoutier, St-Péray
Cornas & St-Péray 2022 top value wines:
- Domaine Farge, Grain de Silex, St-Péray 2022
- Domaine Mucyn, Hypsos, Cornas 2022
- Domaine Eric et Joël Durand, Empreintes, Cornas 2022
Matt Walls’ top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines:
The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed in order of St-Péray and Cornas in score order.
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- Cornas to drink now: Matt Walls’ top 20
- Expert’s Choice: St-Péray
M Chapoutier, Lieu-dit Hongrie, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
A full-bodied, generous, bold style of St-Péray, it has a strong character and an assertive nature. The oak here is quite marked, shaping the finish,...
2022
M ChapoutierSt-Péray
Cave de Tain, Fleur de Roc, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
A discreet nose at the time of tasting, this will take a while to unfurl. There's a good sense of energy and freshness within, however,...
2022
Cave de TainSt-Péray
Domaine Clape, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Quince and pear. Rich and ripe but not overly so, it's silky on the palate, fairly high in alcohol, enjoyably full and opulent, with a...
2022
Domaine ClapeSt-Péray
Domaine du Tunnel, Marsanne, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Rich and exotic, with ripe mango and pineapple. Explosively powerful flavour, rich in alcohol, very long, concentrated and opulent in style. I would drink this...
2022
Domaine du TunnelSt-Péray
Domaine Guy Farge, Grain de Silex, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Lightly honeyed pear aromas lead to a full and flowing palate that’s satin textured. Has a feeling of freshness and purity, rolling on to a...
2022
Domaine Guy FargeSt-Péray
Cave Julien Cécillon, Gemini, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Gorgeous, exciting nose combining struck flint and rich mango and apricot. Full-bodied, but not excessively so, with richly ripe stone fruit and well-integrated oak work...
2022
Cave Julien CécillonSt-Péray
Cave de Tain, Epsilon Collection, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Good sense of depth and satisfying fullness. Real concentration, vinosity and balance, with a long finish. Leafy herbal notes further contribute to its drinkable, refreshing...
2022
Cave de TainSt-Péray
Domaine Chaboud-Cellier, Boscus, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
A subtle, struck match reductive element brings interest to the nose. There's a keen, flinty edge on the palate, then good acidity, fresh melon and...
2022
Domaine Chaboud-CellierSt-Péray
Domaine Eric & Joël Durand, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Fresh nose of scratched citrus. Plump but not overly full, this has good acidity and a nice sense of energy, focus and drive. Satsuma and...
2022
Domaine Eric & Joël DurandSt-Péray
Domaine Johann Michel, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
A fuller, riper style than most, with melon, pear and apricot flavours. This is big, broad and full, with a silky mouthfeel. The alcohol is...
2022
Domaine Johann MichelSt-Péray
Marc + Marlène, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Apples and pears on the nose, fresh, floral and fragrant. Well balanced, fresh again on the palate and ends neat. Very drinkable style, 70% aged...
2022
Marc + MarlèneSt-Péray
Vidal-Fleury, St-Péray, Rhône, France, 2022
Mandarin and lemon thyme, this has a lovely aromatic profile. Medium-bodied and delightfully fresh, with good acidity and a brisk feeling on the palate. Very...
2022
Vidal-FleurySt-Péray
Franck Balthazar, Chaillot, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Aromatically quite reductive when tasted, but on the palate this is very promising, with surprisingly rounded and succulent tannins for a 2022. Long, direct, fresh...
2022
Franck BalthazarCornas
Domaine Clape, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
A tasting of various barrel samples suggests that the 2022 vintage here will be very good, if not necessarily the most powerful year. The fruit...
2022
Domaine ClapeCornas
Franck Balthazar, Hommage, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Spicy and flinty, a lovely smoky nature. Concentrated and intense, with amazing vibrancy and crunchy tannins. Good acidity, powerful and great impact, if not the...
2022
Franck BalthazarCornas
Franck Balthazar, Sans Soufre Ajouté, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
This has a gorgeous nose of soy, anchovy, eucalyptus and menthol. Silky, light in body, so incredibly fresh. Gorgeous acidity and so bright. Fine tannins,...
2022
Franck BalthazarCornas
Domaine Vincent Paris, La Geynale, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Has good weight of fruit, though no huge concentration like in other vintages. Ends on quite firm tannins, but they have a certain suppleness compared...
2022
Domaine Vincent ParisCornas
Domaine Vincent Paris, Granit 60, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Some welcome ripeness to the blackberry fruit here. Soft and juicy, with a velvety touch on the mid-palate. More generous alcohol than most, and balanced...
2022
Domaine Vincent ParisCornas
Franck Balthazar, Juliette, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Darkly fruited, this has an intense blackberry aroma and a touch of menthol. Tight tannins that are slightly fibrous on the finish, but this certainly...
2022
Franck BalthazarCornas
Domaine Mucyn, Hypsos, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Black olive, black pepper and menthol. Full-bodied, silky smooth, the oak work has helped to build a rounded and elegant wine with well-worked tannins. This...
2022
Domaine MucynCornas
Cave de Tain, Epsilon Collection, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Discreet nose offering up cinnamon and nutmeg spice. Weightier and fuller on the palate than the nose suggests, this has concentration, good depth of fruit...
2022
Cave de TainCornas
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Domaine de Saint Pierre, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
The oak here is quite dominant, giving a smooth feel on the palate and polishing down the Cornas tannins. Good feeling of freshness, liquorice and...
2022
Paul Jaboulet AînéCornas
Cave de Tain, Arenès Sauvages, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Blueberry and black olive, with bay leaf nuances. Good weight of fruit, fairly concentrated for a 2022, with ripe tannins that still have a good...
2022
Cave de TainCornas
Delas Frères, Chante Perdrix, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Bay leaf, rosewood and cedar aromas, not terribly fruit driven. Silky on the palate, the tannins are relatively supple for a 2022. Acidity is well...
2022
Delas FrèresCornas
Domaine A&E Verset, Signature, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Juicier and fruitier than many 2022s, with good weight and concentration of fruit. Acidity is quite noticeable, and it finishes firm and dry. Has a...
2022
Domaine A&E VersetCornas
Domaine Alain Voge, Les Vieilles Vignes, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Bay leaf and olive aromas, both black and green. It has body and juice on the palate, but retains a herbal vein that runs through...
2022
Domaine Alain VogeCornas
Cave Julien Cécillon, Saint Pierre, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
A quite peculiar, distinctly perfumed nose, with potpourri, dried rose and blackcurrant. More body than most, though the acidity is quite low. Finishes on raspberry...
2022
Cave Julien CécillonCornas
Pierre Gaillard, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Roses, violets and potpourri, an unusually perfumed style. Smooth with surprisingly fine tannins, good acidity and an inner sweet ripeness to the fruit that's accentuated...
2022
Pierre GaillardCornas
Vidal-Fleury, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2022
Medium-weight style, this has more fruit and ripeness than many 2022s. Acidity is balanced, the oak is present but not excessive. No great concentration, but...
2022
Vidal-FleuryCornas
