Based on this week’s annual UGCB tasting in New York, the vintage 2022 most reminds me of recently is 2016. Palates show smooth black fruits, tannins are there in background but rarely assertive, and the wines are at least approachable enough to assess. In terms of short to mid-term consumption, 2022 may offer as much pleasure as 2016. I am not so sure 2022 has quite the same intensity, and in the long term (say after 2040) I suspect it will show a lighter, less impressive style. While I wait to see if aging follows the expected pattern, my verdict is very good indeed, but perhaps not great if the criterion for great is extended longevity. Most of the wines will be ready to start within the next few years; it is a rare wine that will need waiting into the 2030s. The single descriptor that appears most often in my tasting notes is ‘smooth.’

This is certainly a vintage in which the individual appellations show their individual characters. There is greater homogeneity within each appellation than usual. It’s really a textbook year for seeing the differences between appellations on the left bank, with elegance in Margaux, precision in St. Julien, plushness in Pauillac, and hardness in St. Estèphe. It is not so obvious on the right bank, where a greater sense of restraint than usual has brought St. Emilion and Pomerol closer together. One general change is that those chateaux that had  adopted an overtly ‘modernistic’ style during the Parker years have now reverted to a more restrained approach.

Pessac-Léognan divides between the top wines showing the intensity of a great year, and those wines in a slightly lighter style that may be ready to start within a couple of years. In the first powerful category are Haut Bailly (a standout this year, it really feels like a first growth), Domaine de Chevalier (with its usual great sense of precision, already turning silky

Smooth, inclined towards elegance), Pape Clément (more elegant than powerful this vintage, just a little short of the intensity of a top vintage), and maybe Smith Haut Lafitte (not as overtly modernistic as past years, but still the most ‘modern’ wine in Pessac-Léognan). In the second class are Carbonnieux, Carmes Haut Brion, de Fieuzal, Larrivet Haut Brion, Latour-Martillac, and Malartic Lagravière, all showing significant elegance. Pessac-Léognan is where I have the most concern whether the wines have enough stuffing for the long term.

In the Médoc there is an unusually clear demonstration of increasing structure as you move from south to north. The Haut-Médoc, Listrac and Moulis aren’t as fruity as, say, the wines of Margaux or St. Julien; Poujeaux and Chasse-Spleene show the most fruits in a relatively structured style. Cantemerle and Camensac are somewhat oarallel to them.

Margaux starts with more obvious structure than Pessac-Léognan. The wines tend to elegance, many are unmistakably Margaux with that impression of refined elegance, but these sense of tannins, shown by some dryness on the finish, is a bit more evident than usual. The standouts are Lascombes, where Axel Heinz is well on the way to placing the chateau in its proper place among the second growths, and has achieved a great combination of fullness and elegance, already giving a complete impression, and Rauzan-Ségla, where the extremely fine palate gives a great impression of the silkiness of Margaux. More structured than usual, Prieuré-Lichine achieves great elegance, Kirwan shows its typically lighter elegance with a great sense of fruit purity. Desmirail’s elegance is typical of Margaux. Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Brown, Dauzac, Giscours, and Malescot St-Exupéry all show that sense of structure against the palate of smooth black fruits.

In St. Julien, the fullness of the vintage plays off against the classic precision of the commune. Wines vary from those where precision is the dominant influence to those which show a broader, fuller palate. Fruits tend to be a little fuller here than in Margaux, so the tannins are sometimes a bit better hidden, but the wines are definitely well structured. As always, Léoville Barton typifies the precision of St. Julien, and Langoa Barton is in the same style but less intense. Léoville Poyferré has a more overt sense of black fruits, but has backed off from the full modernistic style of recent years.  Saint Pierre is fuller and sweeter than its stable mate Gloria. Beychevelle shows its classic tightness, a coiled spring waiting to unwind, and Talbot is a bit rounder than usual for the chateau.

Pauillac shows a yet more structured impression than St. Julien, not quite a throwback to classicism, but certainly a counterpoint to the fruits, with the sense of structure pushing the usual plushness of Pauillac more into the background. The standouts in Pauillac are the two Pichons. When I came to Pichon Baron, I thought it showed the most obvious typicity of the appellation; and then I came to Pichon Lalande, which is even plusher and fuller. Both are outstanding, with black fruits coming well through the structure. Lynch Bages goes for elegance rather than power in this vintage. Grand Puy Lacoste shows a great combination of plushness and elegance. Grand Puy Ducasse shows a new level of precision. D’Armailhac is fuller and more concentrated than its stable mate Clerc Milon, Duhart Milon is very fine. Haut Batailley shows a distinct advance in finesse under its new management (from Lynch Bages); Batailley is not quite so refined. There scarcely seems to be any chateau in Pauillac that hasn’t produced a wine this year immediately identifiable as coming from the commune.

St. Estèphe is always difficult to assess at the UGCB because the tasting never includes the top wines, but that typical hardness of St. Estèphe is evident across the board.

I often find the wines of the right bank too overtly fruity, Pomerol more so than St. Emilion, but whether because of conditions of the vintage, or because producers have backed off from the Parkerized style, this year there is a greater sense of restraint. You would not mistake the wines for the left bank as they are evidently more open, but the fruits are nicely matched by structure in the background.

St Emilion shows wines with elegance (this is not a phrase I use so often on the right bank). The standouts are Canon-La-Gaffelière, which has simply became more refined every year, and in 2022 shows a great sense of precision, and Valandraud, which shows a  level of refinement that’s unusual for St. Emilion and is all but the antithesis of the in-your-face character of the garage wines. Pavie Macquin has a slightly fuller style, with a great foreboding of savory development to come. La Dominique really typifies the vintage with round black fruits making a smooth palate backed by supple tannins. Beau-Séjour Bécot, Dassault, Clos Fourtet, Grand Mayne, La Tour Figeac, Trottevielle all follow suit.

Pomerol is not as forward and obviously fruity as I associate with its usual state. Tannins are quite firm in the background, although never obtrusive, brining a greater sense of structure than usual, but without showing that sense of dryness on the finish displayed by  the wines of the Médoc. Some Pomerols feel more like St. Emilion. With that sense of structure, they probably will not be ready much before the wines of the left bank. Le Gay comes closest to my image of Pomerol for its rich, forward black fruits. Petit Village is fuller and more typically Pomerol than its (new) stable mate, Beauregard, which offers more restraint and structure and seems backward. Clinet and Gazin are mid weight and firm, more restrained than the style I usually associate with the chateaux.

There are years when the whites of Bordeaux are so rich and oaky that they seem reminiscent of Burgundy, but 2022 tends towards crispness and even sometimes a touch of herbaceousness from Sauvignon Blanc. One of the more intense whites of the vintage, Pape Clément is the standout for richness, with no trace of herbaceousness. Domaine de Chevalier shows its usual great sense of precision. Moving more towards herbaceousness, Smith Haut Lafitte is just a little less refined. De Fieuzal, Larrivet Haut-Brion, Latour Martillac, and Malartic-Lagravière show palates of stewed citrus with that typical hint of herbaceousness in the background.

Sauternes did well this year, with wines showing nicely botrytized noses and palate following into marmalade, caramel, honey, and nuts. Suduiraut is the standout for its intensity, followed by Doisy-Védrines. Guiraud and La Tour Blanche are full on the palate but don’t show those savory overtones.

2022 is a more even vintage than usual, making it hard to go wrong.

Tasting Notes

Pessac-Léognan Blanc

Château Carbonnieux            Nose mingles nuttiness with herbaceousness. Palate veers towards refreshing herbaceousness, quite noticeable retronasally.            89/100

Château Les Carmes Haut Brion    Slightly lighter style, elegant but does it have enough stuffing for the long term?    90/100

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc            Whiff of herbaceousness on nose is offset by sweet ripeness of fruits on palate. Very fine representation of the precision of the chateau and the style of Pessac-Léognan.            93/100

Château de Fieuzal  Smooth and black, inclined to elegance. Questions is whether it has enough stuffing. It will be ready to drink quite soon.    90/100

Château Haut-Bailly            Intensity of palate reminiscent of old vines cuvées. Tannins are supple, fruits are black, the intensity feels like a first growth. Tannins are not at all obtrusive, the fruits are much in front. Could almost start now.     94/100

Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion            Smooth, inclined towards elegance, but the question is whether it has stuffing for longevity. Generally a modernistic impression.            90/100

Château Latour-Martillac            Slightly attenuated impression. Smooth black fruits but not a lot of stuffing behind. Needs more presence on the palate.            90/100

Château Malartic Lagravière            Smooth, elegant, black, not quite a lighter style, but not full force. Black fruits are supported by relatively light tannins. 90/100

Château Pape Clément            Mid weight palate is well balanced between black fruits and supple tannins but possibly not the intensity of the very top vintages. Perhaps it’s just going for elegance. Not so overtly modern as in the past.            92/100

Château Smith Haut Lafitte            Smooth and modern with faintly nutty notes and traces of vanillin. Supple tannins in the background. Somehow the modern style is not persuasive. This may be the most modernistic wine of the year. Very nice for short time, but what about longevity?            92/100

Pessac-Léognan

Château Carbonnieux            Smooth palate with just a rasp from structure at the end. Very much Graves, cigar box showing on top of black fruits, Reminiscent of 2016, very promising.            91/100

Domaine de Chevalier          Smooth and elegant, very typical. Black fruit palate supported by tannins that are already turning silky. Long finish shows black fruit s tending to blackcurrants.            93/100

Château de Fieuzal  Sense of citrus fruits and herbaceousness on palate, but not as intense as I expected from the year. Nice balance with refreshing style of citrus fruits.    90/100

Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion            Restrained, faint herbaceousness offsets citrus palate. Nice sense of balance and completeness.            91/100

Château Latour-Martillac            Slightly herbaceous stewed citrus impressions but not as much concentration on palate as I would like.            90/100

Château Malartic Lagravière            Stewed citrus fruits with sweet ripe impressions. Faint hints of nuttiness at end.            90/100

Château Pape Clément            One of the more intense whites of the vintage. Sweet ripe stewed citrus, no trace of herbaceousness. Smooth and silky.    92/100

Château Smith Haut Lafitte Banc            Smooth, fine, stewed citrus fruits on palate with no trace of herbaceousness. This is just a little less refined than Pape Clement. Smooth and silky on the finish.    92/100

Moulis

Château Chasse-Spleen            Softer than Poujeaux but perhaps fruits are not quite as concentrated, although there is greater tannic structure with more dryness on the finish. There is just a touch of hardness on the finish.    90/100

Château Poujeaux            Very typical result for chateau. Opens with black fruits that then become more restrained as firm tannins kick in. Touch of dryness at end indicates structure. Origin outside the great communes betrayed by just a touch of hardness.            90/100

Haut-Médoc

Château Cantemerle            Nice sense of restraint against black fruit palate. Tannins are smooth in background. This is all but ready to drink.            90/100

Château de Camensac            Faint hints of herbal character on nose. Nice balance on palate but not as concentrated as I expected for year.            90/100

Château Citran            Black fruits subsumed by flatness of finish. Not much pizzazz.            89/100

Margaux

Château Brane Cantenac            Faint sense of asperity to nose. Not quite barnyard but some herbal impressions faintly in background. Slightly attenuated quality. Tannins quite tight.            90/100

Château Cantenac Brown  Mid weight palate, some dryness from tannins at end. The elegance of Margaux is pushed into the background. Structure needs to resolve a bit.            90/100

Château Dauzac Slightly herbal sense of austerity to nose. Sweet ripe fruits on palate, fruitiness quite overt. Wine a little fuller than usual for Margaux.            90/100

Château Desmirail            Classic nose of black fruits, spices, and herbs. Restrained black fruits on palate. Very typical of Margaux with lovely herbal impressions on finish. Should be ready soon.            91/100

Château Giscours            A little fuller as always, but nicely restrained on palate. Structure indicated by dryness on finish. Palate shows fruits in background but tannins not too overt either. Hard to judge.            90/100

Château Kirwan Here is the typical elegance of Margaux and the light touch of Kirwan. Great sense of fruit purity. Structure indicated by dryness on finish.    91/100

Château Lascombes            Full force elegance if that’s not an oxymoron. Palate is relatively full for Margaux, with smooth black fruits and supple tannins. Already there is an impression of completeness.            94/100

Château Malescot St. Exupéry            Smooth and very Margaux-ish. Structure shows non finish. Indeed this gives impression of well-structured wine. Black fruits show liquorish impressions with faint aromatics. Feels relatively modernistic.            92/100

Château Prieuré Lichine            Smooth, elegant, very Margaux-ish, structure indicated by dryness at end. Elegant black fruits with tannins really drying finish. More structured than usual.    91/100

Château Rauzan-Ségla            Very fine, very elegant, really epitomizes Margaux. Smooth and silkier than most Margaux chateaux this year. Classic representation of chateau and appellation.            93/100

Château du Tertre            Smooth, elegant, tannins well in background, some hints of smoke. Very nice, but not as intense as some chateaux this year.     90/100

St. Julien

Château Beychevelle            This shows the classic tightness of young Beychevelle, with elegant fruits feeling very Cabernet Sauvignon-ish and a sense of taut structure on the finish. Dryness on the finish shows significant structural support. This is a very fine result in the traditional style of the chateau.            92/100

Château Branaire Ducru            Smooth palate shows good sense of precision of St. Julien. Lovely black fruits fill the palate with just a touch of overt fruitiness at the end.            91/100

Château Gloria            Nice sense of the precision of St. Julien. Fruits are a little tight, quite elegant, but I wonder if there is quite enough stuffing for longevity.            90/100

Château Gruaud Larose            A little flat on the nose. Fine granular impression on palate, black fruits just a little muted at present. Should become a classic representation of the chateau showing the drier side of St. Julien.   92/100

Château Lagrange            Smooth, elegant, good sense of St. Julien. The overly modernistic impression of recent years has all but gone. Just a faint touch of vanillin to remind of recent history. Tannins quite firm but not obtrusive.            91/100

Château Langoa Barton            The usual fine impression of the Barton wines, but less presence on the palate than I expected in this vintage. Black fruits are supported by fine tannins, I would have liked just a little more intensity.            90/100

Château Léoville Barton            As usual more intensity than Langoa. Smooth, elegant, greater sense of structure. Very fine tannins scarcely obtrude on the palate. Very much the Barton style.            92/100

Château Léoville Poyferré            Overt sense of black fruits to nose and palate. Firm tannins with touch of dryness on finish. The modernistic style is not so evident as previously, but the palate is relatively full, you fill the vintage has filled it out more than usual.    92/100

Château Saint Pierre   Fuller and sweeter than Gloria and also more sense of structure showing with the dryness of the finish. Less precise but broader than Gloria.  91/100

Château Talbot            Relatively round impression for Talbot. Just a hint of tannic dryness at end. Firm impression on palate. Developing in a savory direction.            92/100

Pauillac

Château Batailley            The fullness of Pauillac shows, not quite plush on the palate. The texture is not quite as fine as I would like. Structure needs to soften.            90/100

Château Clerc Milon   Just a touch tight and restrained. Tannic structure shows as dryness on finish. A bit of a throwback considering the vintage. 91/100

Château d’Armailhac            Fuller than Clerc Milon, greater fruit concentration, smooth tannic structure showing more as restraining influence than dryness on finish.    92/100

Château Duhart Milon   A very fine impression, showing finesse over plushness, tannic structure just detectable by dryness on finish. Will mature to elegance rather than power.            92/100

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse            Here is something of the plushness of Pauillac offset by a well structured character. This is very Pauillac and represents a distinct advance over previous years for the chateau.            92/100

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste            Smooth and elegant, very much the elegant style of the chateau, fine black fruits, supple tannins in background. Perhaps not as forceful as 2016.   92/100

Château Haut Batailley            A distinct advance in finesse over the old style.. Fine black fruits supported by tannins that dry the finish. Quite structured in the classic tradition but the fruits behind the structure are evident. The closest to a vin de garde this vintage comes.            92/100

Château Lynch Bages   Very fine, very elegant, smooth rather than plush. Finely textured palate will move in savory direction as it ages.            94/100

Château Lynch Moussas            Fine structure feels more like St Julien. Quite an elegant impression. Structure imposes restraint rather than dryness on finish. Very good for the chateau.            90/100

Château Pichon Baron            Perhaps the most classic representation of Pauillac in the vintage. Round black fruits are almost plush with very smooth supple tannins. A top result for the chateau and the vintage. May become chocolaty as it ages.    94/100

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande            Plusher and fuller even than Baron. Tannins show firmness on finish. Lovely black fruits just coming through the structure. Very typical Pauillac.            95/100

St. Estèphe

Château Cos Labory Here is the hardness of St Estèphe, not really dryness on the finish, just a little hard, flattening the impression of the underlying black fruits. Just needs time.            90/100

Château Phélan Ségur   Quite smooth for the chateau and for St Estèphe. Structure shows at the end but I expect this to soften in 4-6 years.   90/100

St. Emilion

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot            Smooth, round, and fruity. Tannins  well in the background are supple. Touch of overt fruitiness reveals Merlot. Close to approachable.            90/100

Château Canon La Gaffelière            Really shows breed because it not only has the round black fruits of the vintage with supple tannins but also an impression of precision and elegance. This is very fine.            94/100

Château Dassault            Smooth, round, soft black fruits, supple tannins, quite an elegant impression for St. Emilion. Maybe I would like a touch more presence on the palate. Very approachable.            92/100

Château La Dominique            This wine really typifies the style of Grand Cru Classés this vintage. Soft, round, black fruits are relatively forward, but there is a touch more tannic presence, although supple, than some. Very good result,            91/100

Clos Fourtet            A little more restrained than most this year. Good balance between black fruits and unobtrusive structure. Hints of coffee.            91/100

Château Grand Mayne  Typical for year, black fruits at front, supple structure behind, but not quite enough pizzazz on palate.  90/100

Château Pavie Macquin            Right on form. Palate shows firm black fruits, slightly nutty in the background. Nice sense of savory development to come. Very well balanced. A proper wine.            92/100

Château La Tour Figeac            Typical if not at the top rank. Not exactly attenuated, but not as much presence as I would like on palate. Just a touch of firmness from structure at end.      90/100

Château Trottevieille            Slightly flat on the palate compared with the more obviously fruity chateaux of this vintage. Tannic structure is not obtrusive but seems to be responsible for flattening the palate a bit.            90/100

Château Valandraud            Very fine result showing a level of refinement that’s unusual for St. Emilion. Palate has finely textured black fruits, tannins in background. I don’t often say this in St. Emilion, but the overall impression is elegance. It is a complete contrast with the reputation of garage wines.   93/100

Pomerol

Château Beauregard            Seems restrained for Pomerol. Black fruits segue into firm finish with some elegance. Feels more like St Emilion or even left bank compared to usual lushness of Pomerol. Structured enough to need time.     91/100

Château La Cabanne            Soft, a bit forward, quite Pomerol-ish, but firm tannins in background.            90/100

Château Clinet            Mid weight black fruits. More restrained than I usually associate with the chateau. Firm tannins in background.            90/100

Château Le Gay      This is one of the few wines of the vintage that taste like my image of Pomerol. Forward, fruity, and black on palate, although tannins are firm in background.            90/100

Château Gazin            Quite a firm impression on the palate. Black fruits more in the background than most, tannins quite firm. Feels surprisingly like St. Emilion.            90/100

Château Petit Village  Fuller and more typically Pomerol than Beauregard, but even so there is more sense of structure than I usually associate with Pomerol. Black fruit palate has firm tannins in background.            92/100

Sauternes

Château Doisy-Védrines            Botrytis on nose, sweet on palate, but not too sweet, you can see the flavor variety coming through with citrus, marmalade, and nuts. Lingers on the finish.            93/100

Château Guiraud            Full on the palate, botrytis showing on nose and palate, with honey, nuts, and marmalade. Sweetness is just a touch overt.   93/100

Château Suduiraut            Nose is redolent with botrytis, honey, marmalade, stewed citrus. Viscous palate has great concentration, long finish with hints of bitterness. This is a top result.            95/100

Château La Tour Blanche            Sweet palate with notes of botrytis but some bitterness on top of honey, nuts, and marmalade, but no savory contrast.            91/100