Talk-A-Vino

About a month ago, I attended the Union de Grand Crus de Bordeaux (UCBG) event introducing the Bordeaux 2022 vintage. UCBG is a marketing organization created in 1973 with the goal of promoting Bordeaux Grand Cru wines around the world. Today, UCBG comprises 132 Grand Cru Châteaux (wineries) in Bordeaux and runs about 80 marketing events per year, attracting more than 40,000 wine professionals.

UCBG vintage introduction event offers a great opportunity to have an early look into the latest vintage, taste lots of great wines and talk to the winemakers.

Speaking with the winemakers, my main question was: So, how was the vintage? Based on what I heard, it seems that 2022 was an excellent vintage with even growing conditions, with rains mostly in the early stages and then reasonably hot and dry conditions all the way through the harvest, delivering powerful, concentrated fruit with ample acidity. Hence, the descriptor I’m using for this vintage is Power and Elegance.

I have to tell you that I enjoyed most of the wines across the board. I didn’t have any OMG moment, but lots of wines showed very consistently, many of them ready to drink even now.

I didn’t take any detailed notes. Instead, I took pictures of the wines I liked, and now I would simply like to share the list of my favorite wines from this 2022 Bordeaux Grand Cru tasting.

Last year, I wrote about the 2021 Bordeaux Grand Cru vintage, so this year, I decided to mark the wines I liked last year with a star. This way, maybe I can identify my “perennial” preferences 🙂 – will see.

Here you are – my favorite 2022 Grand Cru Bordeaux wines, sorted by region:

Pessac-Léognan (the only Grand Cru region in Bordeaux producing both white and red wines).
2022 Château Carbonnieux Rouge Pessac-Léognan
2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion Rouge Pessac-Léognan
2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Pessac-Léognan*
2022 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge Pessac-Léognan*
2022 Château de Fiuzal Blanc Pessac-Léognan*
2022 Château de Fiuzal Rouge Pessac-Léognan
2022 Château Haut-Bailly Rouge Pessac-Léognan
2022 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc Pessac-Léognan
2022 Château La Louvière Blanc Pessac-Léognan

Apparently, Chateau Lascombes went back to the old label – as you can see in this picture

Margaux
2022 Château Lascombes Margaux
2022 Château Malescot St. Exupéry Margaux
2022 Château Desmirail Margaux
2022 Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux*

Pauillac
2022 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac
2022 Château Pichon Baron Pauillac
2022 Château d’Armailhac Pauillac*
2022 Château Clerc Milon Pauillac*
2022 Château Duhart-Milon Pauillac*
2022 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse Pauillac*
2022 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac*
2022 Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac*
2022 Château Batailley Pauillac*
2022 Château Lynch-Moussas Pauillac

Pomerol
2022 Château Beauregard Pomerol
2022 Château Petit-Village Pomerol*
2022 Château La Cabanne Pomerol
2022 Château Clinet Pomerol
2022 Château Le Gay Pomerol*

Saint-Émilion
2022 Chateau Valandraud Saint-Émilion*
2022 Château Villemaurine Saint-Émilion*
2022 Château Pavie Macquin Saint-Émilion
2022 Château Clos Fourtet Saint-Émilion
2022 Château Dassault Saint-Émilion

Saint-Estèphe
2022 Château Phélan Ségur Saint-Estèphe*
2022 Château Cos Labory Saint-Estèphe
2022 Château De Pez Saint-Estèphe

Saint-Julien
2022 Château Langoa Barton Saint-Julien*
2022 Château Léoville Barton Saint-Julien*
2022 Château Léoville Poyferré Saint-Julien*
2022 Château Gloria Saint-Julien*
2022 Château Gruaud Larose Saint-Julien

Médoc
2022 Château Chase-Spleen Moulis en Médoc
2022 Château Citran Haut-Médoc

Sauternes – most of the producers I spoke with mentioned that they didn’t produce any Sauterns in 2021 – now it makes sense that last year most of the Sauternes producers were presenting different vintages…
2022 Château Guiraud Sauternes* (presented 2016 vintage last year, 2024)
2022 Château Doisy-Vérdines Sauternes* (presented 2018 vintage last year, 2024)
2022 Château Doisy Daëne Barsac Grand Vin de Sauternes
2022 Château Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes* (presented 2016 vintage last year, 2024)

At the same tasting, I also had an unsanctioned (in many ways) treat. I noticed a winemaker in the corner talking to a few people and pouring wines that clearly didn’t belong to the tasting – 1982 and 1983 Boirceaux. I asked if I can have a taste too, and the wine – albeit grudgingly – made into my glass. The 1983 was quite drinkable – I didn’t catch the label, though. This 1982 Château Ramage La Batisse Haut-Médoc was mostly showing tertiary aromas, but hey, 1982 commands respect, so I can’t complain about having a taste of the Bordeaux from the legendary vintage.

There you are – the 2022 Bordeaux Grand Cru vintage. Well worth your attention. I’m sure it will age very well, but – you really don’t need for it to age. Crack the bottle open and enjoy!