The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) released a report into the vintage that says the wines are showing the promise of quality again this year. Burgundy’s 2022 wines are bubbling away in barrels bringing the joyous news – both high quality winese xpected and plenty of them.
“The 2022 vintage encapsulates what Bourgogne does best: generosity and promise!” the report said.
The report also said that after three years of quality without quantity, with yields impacted by weather events, it is certainly welcome, taking some of the pressure off sales and allowing stocks to be built back up. Despite some small disparities depending on the varietal, the vines stood up pretty well to some rather extreme weather and were able to take advantage of the slightest rainfall.
The weather this year was once again extreme, with frost, heatwaves, and drought.
However, this time the effects weren’t disatrous, as in previous years. Budburst was later than in recent years, which helped protect the vines from April frost. Then, the subtle balance between vine and terroir meant that, despite this year’s harvest being deprived of water and subjected to four separate heatwaves, it came through unscathed.
This balance can be perceived in the musts which, by all accounts, have good degrees of potential alcohol, meaning chaptalization is unlikely to be necessary this year.
“The wines are revealing quality, with nice concentration and fine balance,” it was quoted as saying in the report.
“And it’s a surprising vintage because although the weather was very hot, the wines are vivacious and offer aromas of fresh fruit; the promise of good things to come,” it remarked.
The Chardonnays are reported to be rounded, smooth, and complex. They are rich and very expressive, with fruity aromas. They are present without being overbearing. In the mouth, notes of fresh fruit and beautiful balance preserve the freshness.
The Pinot Noirs are showing lovely color, smoothness, and good concentration. The structure is carried by soft tannins with a roundness coupled with a lovely density. They offer indulgent aromas of ripe red and black fruit.
Crémant de Bourgogne wines are also looking good this year. The base wines were well balanced with good maturity, meaning little enrichment was necessary. The acidity was moderate. The wines are powerful, yielding and crisp, with good length in the mouth.
“Conditions were tricky for the 2022 vintage, from intense sunshine and heat to lack of rainfall.”
“Once again, the vines astonished us by their ability to make juice from almost no water at all. Once the bunches formed, they enjoyed heavy rain in June and a few stormy showers mid-August to produce abundant, aromatic, and balanced juice,” the report was quoted as saying.
