Sarah Jane Evans MW: my top 10 wines of 2022

2022 was the year of catching up. It started in a flurry of wine webinars. A chance to get up close to winemakers, but, thanks to zoom, not that close.

When travel did begin, it resulted in almost back-to-back wine fairs. Meanwhile in 2019 and 2021 a number of wineries had missed important anniversaries owing to the lockdowns.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Sarah Jane’s top 10 wines of 2022

As a result this year I had the privilege of enjoying a striking number of historical vertical tastings. Plus it was the year of new discoveries.

Into that category fell Bodegas Tamerán, the new winery on Gran Canaria from footballing icon David Silva, and Suertes del Marqués Jonatán García (Tenerife).

In July I returned to Jumilla, calling in after a long absence at Casa Castillo. It is an astonishing visit, to be able to spend time with José María Vicente, a person with such an intense focus on the vines and the cellar. The added bonus is he is a great cook. I was delighted to meet the biodynamic brothers at Bodegas Cerrón – look out for their wines in 2023.

The celebration of 40 years of Alvárez family ownership of Vega Sicilia was a sensation. Not only did we taste back from 2014 to 1960, it was held at El Celler de Can Roca with some exceptional delicacies to accompany the wines. As ever, wine service – all from magnum – was outstanding. My favourites? Hard to choose between 1991 and 1970, but in the end for sheer longevity 1970 won.

The same year brought remarkable chances to taste just how well and how long Rioja can age. The miraculous tasting was the vertical of Marqués de Riscal from the beginning – 1862. This was a tasting where emotion joined history: quite apart from tasting the first wine, there were other milestones – 1899 the last taste of Rioja before phylloxera arrived. 1935 (97 points) and 1936 (96 points), foreshadowing the horrors of the Civil War.

Later in the year there was an opportunity (while Pedro Ballesteros was researching his feature for the forthcoming Rioja supplement (March 2023) ) to taste some fine old vintages of La Rioja Alta. One of the delights was a tasting in the former chapel on the lovely estate of Finca Martelo, looking back over La Rioja Alta’s history.

My friends know that I take a particular delight in forgotten and obscure, and nowhere better than the tucked away corners of Galicia. Plus, I am a real fan of elegant, ethereal wines with lively acidity. You will find them all at Adega Algueira in Ribeira Sacra.

This spring on trips to Rías Baixas I was able to renew my connection with the delightful Fernando González, and his son Pablo. Fernando’s winery is a treasure house.

The year finished with a long overdue trip to Argentina. Webinars were never a substitute for walking the vineyards and breathing the air, and finding who’s who and what’s where over a glass of excellent wine. As I found, there’s plenty of news in Argentina. Tip: look out for Otronia Chardonnay from Patagonia, and toast the World Cup winners!

Sarah Jane Evans MW: my top wines of 2022

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