Is This Year’s Bordeaux Release Worth All The Hype? You Bet Your Dark Fruit It Is.

I had a dream last night about the Bordeaux release: a non-linear mess where I was in a basement in what felt like Hong Kong and I think a typhoon was blowing in, but I was definitely lined up to buy some 2022 Bordeaux. I haven’t considered, let alone dreamed about, standing in line for the annual BCLBD Bordeaux release in ages, so at bare minimum some deep recess of my psyche feels that this is a very special vintage.

And my subconscious isn’t alone: 2022 is being hailed as one of the potential classics, and some informed sorts are even comparing it to the iconic 1982 vintage. That’s the year that transformed Bordeaux from an admired wine region into the juggernaut of wine, commerce and speculation that it is today. Is it that good? Well it’s pretty tricky to say at this early stage, but I was lucky enough to taste 20+ examples of the 2022 and here are my takeaways:

1. It’s definitely the best vintage in the last five years and that’s saying something given that—thanks to technology—Bordeaux doesn’t have “bad” vintages any more, so to clearly outpace the previous years is a feat in and of itself.

2. There’s less of it. The vintage was smaller and the BCLDB, stung over the lack of uptake on the 2021 and 2020, bought less. Bordeaux makes a tonne of wine—this ain’t Burgundy—so we’re not dealing with scarcity, but I also wouldn’t wait on something you’re really keen on. And don’t expect the mark downs later in the year that we’ve seen in the past few years.

3. The Left Bank is better than the Right Bank. I only tasted two Right Bank wines mind you, but this impression seems to be backed up by other writers who had far more detailed samplings.

4. The wines are atypically drinking wonderfully right out of the gate, definitely a rarity for a year with some great potential for long-term aging.

5. Further to the above, the wines have a freshness that’s very welcome—there aren’t the bottles to seek out if your fave pour is a hearty blast of Caymus Special Selection.

5 Bottles to Seek Out

Chateau Daviaud 2022, $23

Not all Bordeaux is part of the Bordeaux release and a case in point is this bottle from the Sichel-owned Daviaud. If you check the BCL site they’re still a  few bottles of the 2020 kicking around at the bargain price of $20. I loved that wine when I first tasted (see here), but also suggest you snag a bottle of the 2022 when it hits shelves—it’s fully ready to drink Merlot-dominant blend that gives an insight into the vintage (and its freshness) without breaking the bank. A cool label, too (if you’re gifting).

Chateau Lanessan, Haut-Médoc, $50

In many years I find the $45-65 range of Bordeaux to be very tricky—they have little name recognition, comes from lesser appellations and $50 is still a lot for a bottle of wine. But 2022 isn’t most years and this bottle from Lanessan underscores that point. There’s ample blue fruit but it’s the lovely aromatics—licorice, menthol, wild sage—the bring you to the glory of good Bordeaux and an approachable price point.

Chateau Poujeaux, Moulis-en-Médoc, $75

The BCL has long championed this perpetually over-performing Chateau and I find myself seeking it out whenever I travel as it always represents such a good value for “serious” Bordeaux.  Here you’re starting to get into complexity: blackberries, olives, pencil shavings, Herbs de Provence…all playing a part. It’s a bit tight right now so I’d either give it some time in the cellar or a long decant.

Chateau Brown, Pessac-Leognan, $80

I generally love wine from the Graves/Pessac-Leognan region for their unabashed Bordeaux-ness. I never think they’re from California or Chile or any other region making wines in the Bordeaux style. And this bottle hits all the notes I’m looking for in this region: tobacco, violets, leather, menthol and above all a very clean and fresh acidity. Drinking wonderfully right now but should age like a champ.

Chateau Margaux, Margaux, $1700

I have an aversion to the concept of 100-point wines. You get some piker to bestow the magical score on your wine and it gets trotted around if it’s perfection in the bottle because on one day, one person said so. Hogwash. But…if I were to call a wine perfect it would look a lot like this offering from the legendary Chateau Margaux. It’s so hackneyed to compare it to a symphony but I don’t how else to express just how much is going on in your palate and go how perfectly in concert it’s happening. It doesn’t require any work from you to go on this crazy journey and astoundingly I think it’s drinking superbly now. As a rule our prices in BC are too high to ever speculate and make money holding a wine, but this might prove to be the exception as I anticipate this to be a wine that will achieve legendary status in the coming decades.

Seriously, I don’t think there are any duds in this release (and there shouldn’t be given the prices). I also was enamoured with  Branaire-Ducru (#14), Lagrange ($130), Phelan-Segur ($125) and even the chronically under-performing Lynch-Moussas ($95).