2022–A Very Good to Excellent Vintage for Both Reds and Whites

A Day at the Office, November 2023

VINTAGE SUMMARY

2022 was one more in a succession of climate change-affected Burgundy vintages, as a hot and dry summer led to yet another August harvest. The growing season was mostly unaffected by severe weather events or disease pressure, and 2022 produced attractive wines with excellent sugar ripeness though relatively lower acidity levels. Guillaume d’Angerville described it as “a simple vintage in many ways—a benign season, warm and dry, but water at the right time.” Yields were generous but not over-abundant (unlike 2023), and the resulting wines are full of ripe fruit. But ripe fruit is the beginning rather than the end of the story. The opportunity was there to make excellent and even great wines, but success, in the sense of creating something that was more than just ripe and charming, could be elusive. Picking dates were important, as sugar ripeness increased, and acidities diminished, relatively quickly but phenolic ripeness didn’t follow in tandem.

A cold winter ended relatively early, and warmer temperatures in February and March led to an early beginning of the growing season. In many recent years, the timing of bud-break has left the crop vulnerable to April frosts, but the buds were not yet out when a frost hit on April 4^th, and there was no repeat of the disastrous frosts of 2021.

Flowering was early and relatively quick, and mid-flowering occurred toward the end of May. The summer that followed was dry and warm (and at times, particularly in mid-June, quite hot, including at night). The water table was still relatively high from the rains in 2021, and there were two major storms in June, one of which brought hail and flooding in Gevrey-Chambertin and its environs (with some hail also affecting Nuits-St.-Georges), but while these storms reduced quantities somewhat, and perhaps caused slight dilution, the effects were localized. Elsewhere the storms were less severe, particularly in the Côte de Beaune, which experienced them as welcome rain. Also, the rain helped provide reserves of water that could be reached during the following dry spell, and together with a lighter rain in July and another light rain in mid-August helped keep the vines from shutting down due to hydric stress; indeed several producers remarked that despite the heat and dryness, the vine leaves stayed green throughout the season. Following the August rain, maturity levels increased rapidly (though not as dramatically as in 2023), and picking began towards the end of August in warm conditions—a by-now-common occurrence in a region that had not seen an August harvest in the entire 20^th century. 

The recent spate of hot and dry vintages has seen sugar levels rise rapidly near the end of the growing season, and acidity levels drop, as the traditional 100-day period from mid-flowering to picking is now (as several producers told me) more likely to be 93-96 days (it was 80 days in the super-hot 2003 vintage). However, phenolic ripeness can lag sugar ripeness, particularly when the latter happens early, and producers have in many recent vintages had to choose between picking early to keep alcohol levels in check while preserving acidity and picking later to obtain riper and suaver tannins. Thus, the choice of picking dates has become more critical to achieving success, or at least to the style of wine the producer wishes to express. Also, as more harvests take place in hot weather, some producers are limiting picking to the cooler morning hours and taking other steps to make sure the grapes remain cool and do not start fermenting prematurely.

In 2022, the crop was clean, with little triage necessary, and plentiful. While many producers described the quantity as “average,” overall the BIVB reported the crop as 20% larger than the 5-year average from 2017-2021 (although that period included several notably small crops, particularly 2021). In the cellars, often the better producers are cutting back on punch-downs and turning to pump-overs, or infusions, to avoid over-extraction, and increasing numbers are including some proportion of whole clusters in the must, which when ripe can add structure and freshness, along with floral elements, but which can also contribute to higher pH levels. Overall, while we did not hear any reports of vinification problems, the generally high levels of pH did result in noticeable levels of VA in some cuvées, and brett was a threat as well (though we saw it relatively rarely). There were reports that a number of producers felt the need to acidify (as always in Burgundy, that was something “one’s neighbors” might have done), although the results of acidification are rarely satisfactory. Malos generally went quickly, though a few followed what used to be a more normal, slower course. And while the traditional 228-liter Burgundy barrel still predominates, several producers have begun to move to larger barrels. While others are continuing to experiment with amphorae in varying materials and with glass globes, there are as yet only a few producers for whom these have passed beyond the experimental stage. 

The resulting reds are full of ripe fruit, but unlike in 2018, where too often the ripe fruit dominates and the wines can seem ponderous, in 2022 there is typically more freshness and purity to the wines—at least to the best ones–and better balance. There is a juiciness to the wines that will make them crowd-pleasers (and likely early drinkers), but there is more to them than that. The tannins are typically refined, and there is good (though not profound) concentration and depth, structure even, and often terroir typicity as well. Of course, there are plenty of wines that don’t hit this standard, and while (those with VA or brett aside) these still exude rich and ripe fruit and can thus be pleasing, they lack the balance that positive acidity brings and can vary from top-heavy to lacking in mid-palate density, while still eminently drinkable. When asked, producers struggled to find a closely comparable vintage, though several mentioned it as a cross between ’17 and a riper and denser vintage.

As for the whites, the best are remarkably fine, with a zesty acidity one would not expect reading the description of the growing season. In part that appears due to the decisions many producers made to pick early to preserve freshness (a bit of a tightrope, as wines picked too early can lack sufficient ripe fruit to balance the acidity and come across as shrill and ungainly, while those picked later can be overly ripe and alcoholic and lack balance). The other factor in their favor was that a large crop can postpone sugar ripeness, often producing beautifully balanced white wines in years (such as 1979, 1982 and, more recently, 2014 and 2017) in which the reds by contrast suffer from dilution due to the crop size. In 2022, in my view, the most successful white wine producers made wines to rival 2020 and 2017, though without the density and remarkable tension of the best 2014s. That said, here too the results were not uniform, and while we were fortunate to see mostly successful producers, I’ve heard several reports suggesting that the whites were even more heterogeneous than the reds. Thus, as always, generalizations can only take you so far.

Chablis, too, felt the effects of the heat and dryness, but there was just enough rain at the right times to keep the vines from shutting down, and at harvest the grapes were mature, while yields were generally good. However, one producer commented that because in ’21 many of the wines were picked at sub-optimal maturity levels, in ’22 a lot of producers–seeking to avoid that mistake–ended up waiting too long. We unfortunately did not see enough of a range of Chablis producers to be able to comment on the overall quality of the vintage there.

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A note on the tastings: a few producers are now insistent on showing only bottled wines; among those we visit, these include Leflaive, Laurent Ponsot and Michel Gaunoux. On the positive side, one gets to see the final wine that has made it into bottle, not a snapshot of a particular barrel at a particular moment in its evolution—and much can happen between barrel and bottle (de Vogüé in the time of François Millet was a prime example of this). On the negative side, wines do often close up—sometimes for years–after bottling (though perhaps less so in warmer and riper vintages, of which there are far more these days); also, it’s not much help if buying decisions must be made before the wines are available to taste. Indeed, an increasing number of producers are cutting back on traditional barrel tastings—and some on any tastings–as the world flocks to Burgundy’s cellar doors while many wines sell out regardless of who tastes them or when (or even, sometimes, what they taste like). I do understand that this can be a burden for the producers, but it’s also worth quoting the observation of Frédéric Drouhin (from a recent interview in Bourgogne Aujourd’hui: “Burgundy has always been a land of openness…these closed doors are not a good signal, even a form of arrogance.” Some producers have begun dealing with the pressures by delegating a portion of their tastings to other members of the team, and this (or in some cases hiring additional staff) might perhaps provide a happy medium.

On a personal note, I was forced to miss two days of tastings during this trip because of illness, and consequently some producers I normally follow assiduously, including Domaines Dujac and Bernard Moreau among others, don’t appear in the producer summary this year.

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Readers will I hope be interested in a recently published book, On Burgundy: From Maddening to Marvelous in 59 Tales, a collection of essays edited by Susan Keevil and published by Académie du Vin Library. There is a foreword by Aubert de Villaine and an introduction by Jasper Morris MW, as well as contributions by Jay McInerney, Allen Meadows and many others. I was pleased to have two of my essays included, one on appreciating older vintage Burgundies and the other on fraud. I would encourage you to buy a copy, which is available through Amazon, at the Atheneum in Beaune, and elsewhere. 

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REDS:

Côte de Nuits:

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti: The domaine produced some of the best wines of the vintage, which will surprise no one. Alcohol levels were mostly around 13.5%, with somewhat elevated pHs at 3.5-3.6. There was a green harvest in July, and the domaine began harvesting on August 28^th. The Echézeaux had an almost tarry nose, but the mid-palate was pure and bright, with very soft, ripe tannins, and this year there wasn’t quite the same gap as is typical between the Echézeaux and Grands Echézeaux. That, however, wasn’t because the Grands Echézeaux was less fine than usual: it had beautiful clarity in the mid-palate, exhibiting density without weight, and almost seemed to vibrate. The Romanée St.-Vivant was less forthcoming, more reductive on the nose and less resolved than others in the range, but the finish was remarkably pure, long, subtle, and elegant and I have little doubt it will find its feet in time. The Richebourg, though, was singing now: it had a deep and pure nose, while on the palate, there was power and density, yet freshness; overall, it was beautifully balanced, and the tannins were quite refined. La Tâche had a magnificent nose—the usual complex spice, with perfect integration of minerals, dark fruit, stems, soy, and citrus, all reflected as well on the palate; this may have been slightly lighter-bodied than the Richebourg, but it was multi-dimensional, with a creamy texture and an amazingly long and detailed spicy finish. The Romanée-Conti was, as usual, the sum of all virtues: while the nose lacked the aromatic fireworks of La Tâche, it had greater depth and complexity; here there was a sense of elegance, refinement and subtlety, and a texture of sheerest silk, with some still prominent but completely refined tannins and a finish of great delicacy. This is a candidate for wine of the vintage.

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair: Louis-Michel analogized the vintage to a hypothetical mix of the freshness and vibrancy of 2010 and the richness of 2015, apt in the domaine’s case, though 2010 did not leap to mind often elsewhere. The range now includes wines from vineyards formerly farmed by Domaine Lamarche, now leased to Liger-Belair; Louis-Michel commented that while the vines are old, because these were not farmed organically, five years will likely be required to clean the soil. The domaine has also expanded its holdings in other vineyards owned or farmed by it. Harvest began here on August 30^th, and alcohol levels ranged from 13-13.8%, with pHs after malo mostly around 3.55 but higher in a few cases.

While not all the wines were showing consistently on this rainy, low-pressure day, overall the range is highly successful, and the best wines are brilliant. Among the wines I particularly liked were the Vosne Clos du Château, which stood out for its clarity, lightness, and elegance; and the Vosne Les Suchots, which was a showcase for ’22 at its best: ripe fruit with more than enough supporting acidity, great purity of fruit, and excellent transparency (both these wines had been racked into tank, for bottling relatively soon). Among the wines still in barrel that showed especially well were the Vosne Village, a light, spicy and elegant wine; the Vosne La Colombière, with a bright minerally nose and good complexity and structure, and the Vosne La Croix Rameau (part of the former Lamarche holdings), which had excellent density and weight but also delicacy and elegance, and ripe tannins. The Vosne Malconsorts, also part of the former Lamarche holdings, was particularly outstanding: despite some reduction on the nose, there was great intensity here, with a remarkable finish of amazing purity, extremely refined tannins, and great length. The Vosne Aux Reignots epitomized the strengths of this range (and of the vintage, in the most capable hands), as Louis-Michel has managed, while retaining the richness and succulence of the fruit, to keep the wines pure, balanced, refined, and elegant. That said, the Echézeaux, despite its nose of pure spice, black raspberries, and soy, its power and intensity on the palate, and its length, didn’t quite (at least at this point) have the elegance of the very best wines in this stable. The Clos de Vougeot (effectively, a selection of the best barrels from multiple sites within the Clos), had characteristic sweet fruit, and was dense and intense, a large-framed, structured CV with drive, depth, and a fine, pure finish. The Grands Echézeaux, the prize of the former Lamarche holdings, inevitably invited comparison with the DRC version, to which it gave no ground; indeed, in its spicy, saline, almost tarry aspect, the nose was somewhat reminiscent of the DRC, though without the same stem note; on the palate, this was bright, perhaps more elegant if less powerful than the DRC version, and it had a silky texture and was layered and structured, with a powerful finish. It will be fun to watch these two rivals compete as the former Lamarche vineyards are converted to biodynamic farming. Finally, there was the brilliant La Romanée, with a complex nose of deep cherry, cinnamon spice, café crème, and a light floral touch; on the palate, this had great presence and a sense of self-assurance, with tannins that were certainly present but quite refined, and an almost endless finish that, each time it started to fade, would come back, and back, and back. Great wine!

Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg: It is always a joy to visit here, as Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée Mugneret have a magical combination of exceptional personal warmth and graciousness, and brilliant winemaking abilities. As is the case elsewhere, the next generation is now fully involved, with daughters Lucie and Marion helping to run the domaine, while daughter Fanny runs the newly opened Maison de Jacqueline, their charming guesthouse next door. 

Alcohol levels here ranged from 12.7% in Ruchottes to 13.8% in Chambolle, while pHs were on the high side, finishing between 3.7-3.8 after malo. As was true almost everywhere, there was some inconsistency in the range, but the best were exceptional wines. 

We began with the Bourgogne, which was a bright, easy, plummy wine. (It’s Bourgogne, it’s never going to be profound—but I’d put this, or the Hudelot-Noellat version, up against the Bourgognes of several “hot” producers that unaccountably sell for more than a thousand dollars. Furthermore, if you believe in terroir, then there’s no way any Bourgogne should sell for more than a high-quality Vosne Premier Cru–and if you don’t believe in terroir…well, let’s just say you’re in the wrong place.) The Vosne Village had a beautiful complex and spicy nose, with some softness on the palate and lots of charm. Even better was the Vosne La Colombière, which had a complex and enticing nose, excellent density yet good acidic lift, and a very long finish. The Nuits Les Chaignots was plummy and deep, certainly charming but I yearned for a bit more acidity to balance it. The Chambolle Les Feusselottes (which I think I’ve finally learned to spell after many attempts) had a lightly spicy nose and was sweet and rich, but stayed fresh, “dentelle” in Marie-Andrée’s word, with a light silky texture developing. The Echézeaux had a restrained but complex nose, with a little touch of stems (15% in 2022), excellent lift on the palate, and fine balance, plus a saline touch, and a complex finish that was becoming silky. The Ruchottes had a deep, intense nose but lightened up a bit on the palate, and, at least today, wasn’t showing the density or finishing complexity of the Echézeaux. However, the Clos de Vougeot was a triumph, with a ripe fruit nose that showed notes of spice, blackberries, light cocoa, and a floral touch; it had excellent presence, a beautiful silky texture that was possibly its best feature, and perhaps more density than is common in this vintage, plus refined tannins and a lovely spicy finish. I forget if it was Marie-Christine or Marie-Andrée who said she hoped this vintage might turn out like 2002; while the growing seasons were very different, the flavor profiles may not be, and it’s an interesting comparison.

Domaine Hudelot-Noellat: Charles van Canneyt said the domaine started the harvest on September 7^th(toward the later side of the dates we heard), and that alcohol levels were at or under 13.7%, with pHs of 3.55 on average after malo. The wines were 100% destemmed, and a saignée of 10% was performed for some cuvées to increase the solid/liquid ratio. The results here were largely excellent, beginning with one of the better red Bourgognes we tasted: it showed a pure, spicy red fruit nose, and the palate displayed excellent ripe fruit but fine balance. The Chambolle Village was also quite good, with dense fruit but good tension, while the Nuits Les Bas de Combes was ripe and intense, with good supporting acidity and subtle earthy notes. The Vougeot Les Petits Vougeot was particularly fine, with a complex nose, a palate that was concentrated but with excellent purity, and soft, rounded tannins leading to a long, fruity finish. The Nuits Les Murgers had fine definition and remarkable transparency, and the Vosne Les Beaumonts showed complex aromas (which included a roast pigeon note—I must still have been thinking about my dinner the night before!); I preferred it to the Vosne Les Suchots, where the oak was more evident, though it had good structure and density and a long, creamy finish. The Vosne Les Malconsorts, though, was the best of the Vosne 1ers; the oak note did not detract from its deep, pure fruit, beguiling spice, complexity, transparency, and attractive liveliness—this was a perfectly balanced, elegant wine. The Romanée St.-Vivant had the characteristic complex spicy nose, with some oak notes along with soy, mocha and minerals, a palate with dense, ripe fruit but also a remarkable purity in the middle, and rounded tannins. The Richebourg had almost as much spice as the RSV, darker fruit, and added power, and seemed closer to the RSV than usual; Charles commented that the Richebourg had been tasting even better the week before, which once again underlined the provisional and approximate nature of the tastings we do: on a single day (which, this year, was often a day of low barometric pressure), usually from a single barrel (though some producers do an assemblage of old and new barrels, which is helpful), usually still on the lees, and not yet having gone through the bottling process. Yet all that said, typically the wines are more open and accessible than they are after bottling, when they can easily shut down for an extended period. (Of course, the late Edmond Penning-Rowsell, the great English wine writer, was right to say he would never give a final opinion on a wine before it was at least ten years old—but that’s not much help when you have to make buying decisions by the time the wine is released, if not earlier.)

Domaine Meo-Camuzet: Jean-Nicholas is trying to make his wines a bit more open, including reducing the contact with the gross lees. Alcohol levels here were mostly 13-13.5%, with a few touching 14%, and pHs of 3.44 for the Bourgogne and 3.54 for the Vosne Village. The samples we tasted had been blended from different barrels. We also tasted, as usual, a mix of negociant and domaine wines that were representative of, but far from the entire, range. In general, the wines showed well, if often in a somewhat rich and heavyweight style (the latter including the Corton Rognet)–though, as with the Vosne Village and the excellent Nuits Aux Boudots, there were also wines of balance and harmony, the latter reminding me of an ’18 but with more brightness in the middle. The Chambolle Les Feusselottes, a negociant wine, was softer in style than the Boudots (as was the Bourgogne Cuvée Etienne Camuzet), easy and charming and with an open, pure finish, though perhaps without the focus of the domaine wines. The latter included the excellent Clos de Vougeot (one of the first parcels harvested in ‘22}, with a deep nose of blackcurrants and spice, a saline note, a palate that was structured, transparent, and well balanced, and a long fruit/mineral finish. Even better, in my view, was the Vosne Aux Brulées, which had previously been racked and put back in barrel; it was intense and powerful but with excellent lift and structure and refined tannins, all leading to a persistent, spicy finish.

Domaine Jean Grivot: Etienne Grivot was in an expansive mood when we visited. He told us he had performed a green harvest about 18-20 days before the actual harvest, which began for the domaine on September 6^th. He thinks that many others harvested too early, and that, in an effort to preserve “freshness” they picked grapes that weren’t fully mature. He believes that long hang times are better and that, in ’22, better balance was achieved by waiting. His alcohol levels were 12.8-13.4% and pHs 3.60 on average. He compared the vintage to what he called “the best intermediate vintages,” citing ’17, ’14, ’11 and ’07 (in his view, ’19 and ’20 were examples of the best vintages Burgundy can make, and he does not see ’22 as being in that category). 

We tasted virtually the entire range, and while I found some inconsistency here, the best wines are certainly quite fine. In more than a few cases, significant levels of reduction made the wines hard to fully evaluate; for example, the Vosne Les Bossières had a very reduced nose, but there seemed to be light, elegant and charming red fruit here, with ripe tannins, and similarly, the Nuits Roncières had a reduced nose, but on the palate, it was bright, pretty and ready to go, more floral than earthy. The Vosne Les Chaumes though was showing well, with bright fruit and a saline touch (Etienne says he like salinity in his wines), but also lots of minerality, and only a slight tannic presence. Etienne was particularly pleased with his Nuits Les Pruliers, which he thought unusually sophisticated for this cuvée, but I was more entranced by the Vosne Brulées, which had remarkable purity of fruit and more depth than any of the premiers crus except the Reignots, and was saline, minerally, and balanced, with ripe tannins and a very long finish showing raspberry and plum notes. The Vosne Les Beaumonts was also quite fine, with similar plum notes, spice, and a through line of pure fruit that went from nose to finish, as well as excellent precision and structure (Etienne said that the Beaumonts in his view best represents the domaine’s style). I preferred it to the Vosne Les Suchots, which was dense, but also to me a bit heavy. The Vosne Reignots, tasted from an assembled cuvée, was the very best of the premier crus, and despite some slight reduction on the nose, it showed deep spice, a pure middle, a silky texture, with highly refined tannins and a long, elegant finish. Indeed, I preferred it to the Echézeaux, which to me lacked grand cru weight and depth (Etienne, while finding raspberries and wild strawberries here, said this and the Clos de Vougeot that followed had been more “vertical” in the morning, with more to them). The Clos de Vougeot nonetheless showed quite well: a contrast to the often-brooding Grivot Clos de Vougeots of prior years, it was open bright, fresh, and pure, but with good body and complexity, a bright open mineral finish and polished, ripe tannins. The Richebourg, despite quite a bit of reduction, had good density, and as it sat in the glass, subtle layers began to reveal themselves, with sweet raspberry fruit up front, wild strawberries, and then dense minerality, a sense of power, refined tannins, a saline note, and a refined, super-long finish.

Domaine Georges Roumier: As usual, these are terrific wines, with the top wines destined to be among the finest of the vintage. Christophe noted the generally high pHs in this vintage (his were 3.60-3.65), while his alcohol levels were 13.6% or less. Picking began here on September 4^th. He used 75-80% whole cluster for the grands crus, less for the premiers and village wines. While malos elsewhere were often quite rapid, here they finished in March/April. Tasted earlier in the year, the Chambolle Village was still very primary on the nose, while it had excellent clarity and fruit expression in the mid-palate and a charming softness, with little tannin in evidence. The Morey Clos de la Bussière had more concentration, with both black and blue fruit, and more tannin in evidence. The Chambolle Les Cras was dense, with beautiful sweet fruit balanced by bright minerality, though I thought I caught a faint hint of VA. The Echézeaux, which was vinified with 100% whole cluster (and is from En Orveaux, though Christophe is adding some Champs Traversin in ’23), had dark fruit on the nose, excellent clarity, and was not especially dense but nevertheless quite attractive. The Ruchottes-Chambertin had an extra layer of depth, red and blue fruit notes, again real purity in the mid-palate, as well as precision and focus. The Chambolle Amoureuses was remarkable, with a discreet but supremely elegant nose and exceptional purity on the palate. It danced on the tongue, with refined tannins and an extremely extended finish—a wine of delicacy and grace. (Interestingly, for those tempted to make too much of the high pHs of this vintage–and even though they can be problematic in some cases–this wine’s pH was 3.85). The Bonnes Mares was just as good, if very different, a wine of power and intensity, yet great purity; here there was more of a sense of the tannins, though they are rounded and refined. Best of all was the Musigny (2 barrels this year, one old, one new; made with 100% whole cluster), an amazingly elegant wine, with a remarkably complex and pure nose, perfect balance and weight, and profound depths that one kept discovering, as the wine stayed on the palate for minutes. Another potential wine of the vintage—if you can afford it.

Domaine J.-F. Mugnier: Freddy said that the ’22s were more approachable than the ’20s, and that the spring rains had been quite helpful. His alcohol levels were 13.5-14% and average pHs were 3.40, similar to those in ’20. While the grapes were very clean in ’22, Freddy noted that he believes it’s best to do an initial sorting in the vineyard, so the bad grapes, if there are any, never go into the box. 

I found the range here quite expressive, notwithstanding a relatively recent racking, with the top wines potentially outstanding. The Chambolle Village had bright plummy fruit, a pure mid-palate, a sense of silk, and rounded if slightly drying tannins. The Nuits Clos de la Maréchale was earthy and spicy, with good purity in the center and sweet fruit after, already drinking nicely. The Chambolle Les Fuées was complex, with subtle small berry fruit notes on the nose; it was relatively sweet on the palate, but transparent and well balanced, with a silky touch and a pure finish. The Bonnes Mares, which like all the wines here showed its terroir well, had dense black fruit, a touch of soy, anise and a small gooseberry note, and then the lovely purity and focus in the mid-palate that is the hallmark of the best wines of this vintage, good power, and perhaps just a little stolidity at the finish. The Chambolle Les Amoureuses, despite some slight reduction on the nose, was pure, with both strawberry and black cherry fruits, a saline touch, more power and density than usual, excellent transparency, and a sense of silk developing; the finish was super-long and kept revealing new dimensions. The Musigny had a complex, high-toned nose, very sweet ripe fruit on the palate, but excellent balance, a silky touch like the others, some fairly strong but refined and rounded tannins, and a brilliant pure finish.

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogûé: As I’ve written in prior vintage summaries, winemaker Jean Lupatelli, who arrived in mid-2020, has made great strides toward returning this storied estate to its former glory. Harvest in ’22 began here on August 29^th, and by the time we arrived in mid-November, the Chambolle Village, Bonnes Mares and Musigny Blanc had all been bottled, as (the malos having finished early) Lupatelli felt that the wines were ready. The domaine used about 50% whole cluster, and 30-40% new oak, for all the wines. The Chambolle Village had pure plummy fruit on the nose, with a blood orange note and floral overtones; it was intense and especially complex for a Village wine, with a fair amount of tannin to keep it. The Chambolle Premier Cru (young vines of Musigny) had deep black cherry and spicy wood notes, and was light and pure, but the tannins were slightly rough. The Bonnes Mares was showing extremely well–it was pure and tense, with excellent terroir character; there was a touch of garrigue on the nose, dense fruit that tended toward plum, yet excellent acidity giving it lift and freshness, with mineral notes emerging. The Chambolle Les Amoureuses had beautiful purity on the palate and was a rather powerful Amoureuses, with excellent complexity and depth. This year, for the first time, the Musigny was vinified in 7 separate cuvées (based on location within the climats), and as the mise had not yet taken place, we tasted three of them. They showed clear differences, but all were superb, and the last we tasted, which Lupatelli thought was likely the most representative of the final blend, exuded refinement and self-confidence (as I never tire of quoting, “the pathetic fallacy resounds in all our praise of wine”—Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited), with notes of macerated dark cherries, cocoa powder, violets, and oranges on an indelibly pure nose and palate, the tannins completely refined and buried, and a long saline finish. I can’t wait to taste the final blend. 

Domaines Château de la Tour/Pierre Labet: Harvest here began August 31st, with the oldest vines (with less fruit, François Labet observed, they ripen more quickly), but there was a 10 day difference in picking dates between the first and last blocks in the Clos. The domaine is partial to whole clusters, which François believes bring richness and roundness but also freshness. No sulfites are used at harvest (CO2 instead), with SO2 added only at the assemblage, and the domaine uses infusions rather than punch-downs. François described the ‘22s as “juicy” and compared the vintage to 2015. 

We began with the Labet wines, which included a very nice Bourgogne V.V. that had bright, snappy fruit; a Beaune Marconnets that was plummy, rich, and ripe, and a more serious Gevrey Village, which was soft with lovely fruit expression, though also a slight hint of VA. From Ch. de la Tour, the Clos de Vougeots had much to admire, but also enough hints of VA to cause me to reserve judgment until after bottling (VA is a complex subject—small amounts can give lift and vibrancy to a wine, and the threshold of acceptability can vary greatly among even experienced tasters. It’s also a common feature of very old Burgundies. I didn’t find the levels here to be obtrusive, but because levels can rise before or during bottling, it is worth mentioning). On the positive side, the Cuvée Classique was juicy and relatively accessible, but still had good structure, ripe tannins, and blueberry and perfume notes on the long finish; the Vieilles Vignes was remarkably open (for a cuvée that in the past has taken a long time to blossom), with beautiful transparency, complex aromatics, and a light pure fruit finish; while the Hommage à Jean Morin had more deep spice than its predecessors, and was minerally and transparent, with a creamy texture, good structure, fruit that was deep and ripe but not overdone, and an intense long minerally finish. In sum, there is excellent potential here.

Domaine Duroché: The heavy rains in June resulted in some significant flooding in and around Gevrey, and the domaine ended up with several inches of water in the cellar, as well as some hail damage to the vines; as a result, the domaine had yields of 20-25hl/ha that were similar to the prior two years (and that would almost double in 2023). Harvest here began on August 28^th. Alcohol levels were 12/13.5%, and pHs 3.5 to 3.75. In mid-November when we visited, the wines had all been racked and were in vat, to be bottled in December. The Bourgogne was juicy and full of sweet strawberry fruit, a highly enjoyable wine, while the Gevrey Village was more serious, with an almost tarry aspect, plenty of sweet fruit, and slight dryness in back. The Gevrey Les Jeunes Rois was full of ripe red berry fruit with a hint of plums, good intensity, and a saline finish, while the Gevrey Aux Etelois was very different in its expression, with much cooler fruit, a touch of garrigue, and strong mineral notes on the palate, plus some slightly dry tannins that gave it lift and density, and a saline finish. I particularly liked the Gevrey Lavaux St. Jacques, which was extremely pure, with some strong but rounded tannins—this had excellent density and power. The Charmes-Chambertin was plummy, meaty and a chewy, and there was a lot to it, with a minerally back end and a saline touch—an excellent Charmes, but I have to confess that Charmes to me, even in the best of hands such as Duroché or Roumier, rarely achieves refinement. The Latricières-Chambertin was dense, rich, and plummy, again almost to the point of being tarry, while the Clos de Bèze showed lots of dry extract, moderate acidity, and quite a lot of rich sweet fruit, but was not without purity, and had refined tannins and an extended finish. 

Domaine Trapet: Louis Trapet is increasingly taking over responsibility for the domaine in Burgundy (they also have substantial holdings in Alsace) and told us the harvest began here on September 5^th. The domaine has been making some changes, including pruning later, and using more echalas (individual stakes for each vine) in the vineyards, which Louis said results in ½ degree less of alcohol and lower pHs. (In ’22, alcohol levels here were 12.5-13.2%, with pHs on the lower side for this vintage, at 3.30-3.35.) Also, in the cellars, they are making much greater use of 500-liter barrels, which they feel preserves freshness. Whole cluster use ranges from 60-100%, the latter largely for the grands crus. 

The Gevrey Ostrea had plenty of sweet fruit, with strong minerality to balance it, good density and fine length, as well as some evident oak, while the Gevrey Petite Chapelle had a floral note from the stems, a pure and silky middle and excellent density and intensity, plus a citrus touch at the end and medium tannins; I preferred it to the Gevrey Les Combottes (from a tiny .09ha plot which had been included in the Gevrey Capita up to 2020), which had excellent clarity but perhaps not quite the weight and density of the Petite Chapelle. The Latricières-Chambertin was intense and spicy, perfumed, and powerful, with a density and compactness which seemed to transcend the vintage; there was a faint hint of VA here but not enough to vitiate the overall impression. The final two wines were especially impressive: first the Chapelle-Chambertin, with very pure fruit (including cassis) on the nose, lovely line and balance, and a beguiling combination of freshness and silky texture, along with highly refined tannins and a very long finish; and then the Chambertin, which displayed a discreet but very elegant nose, while on the palate it had power, intensity, and depth, combined with great balance, transparency, and lift, and a super-long, very pure fruit/mineral finish; here, one did not feel either the heat or ripeness of the vintage. This should be superb in time.

Domaine Bruno Clair: Generational change has already happened here, as Arthur Clair, who has taken charge of the cellar, conducted our tasting (though Bruno stopped by several times, his dry sense of humor unchanged). Arthur told us that while the harvest began at the domaine on August 28^th, that was for the Marsannay whites, and they had begun a week later for the reds. 50% whole cluster was used for most of the wines, and they use 20-45% new oak generally, but tasted us from the older barrels, which had not yet been racked. He said malos had gone quickly—about 2 weeks in most cases. Average pHs were around 3.50, up to a maximum of 3.70. The domaine is among those that are now renting their barrels, something I had not heard about before but that is becoming widespread in Burgundy; the main advantage is that the cost of the barrels can be taken in the year incurred, rather than having to be capitalized over their useful lives.

Among the Marsannays, I particularly liked Les Grasses Têtes, which was intensely fruity but not overdone, with good balance and a fair amount of tannin leading to a long finish. The Chambolle Les Veroilles was bright and fresh and had excellent density and a creamy texture, while the Chambolle Les Charmes had a discreet red fruit nose and serious depth and density. The Savigny La Dominode, almost always a standout here, did not disappoint, with a ripe and rich mid-palate balanced by supporting acidity, a creamy texture, and a supple finish. The Gevrey Petite Chapelle was dense and meaty—a bit of a heavyweight–but the Gevrey Clos du Fonteny, while quite concentrated, was fresh and balanced, with a bright finish and moderate tannins. Both the Gevrey Cazetiers and the Gevrey Clos St.-Jacques were excellent, the former complex and structured and the latter more open and transparent, though with some significant, albeit relatively ripe, tannins. The Clos de Bèze seemed a bit shut down, and hard to get at, as it was probably in need of a racking, but the Bonnes Mares, despite a fair amount of reduction, had excellent freshness, power, a lot of density, polished tannins, and a long, pure and vibrant finish.

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet: There is a new generation of young vignerons in Burgundy who are coming into their own, whether taking over well-established family domaines, revitalizing languishing estates, or establishing new ones. Amélie Berthaut is a particularly talented member of this generation. In 2016, she began this domaine, taking over vineyards from both her father and mother. The domaine is located in Fixin, and while the range includes holdings in Gevrey, Vosne and the Clos de Vougeot, Amélie is also determined to show that Fixin’s reputation for rusticity is undeserved. The domaine works organically but is not certified. The harvest began here on August 26^th, though Amélie said they had picked a few vineyards, stopped, and then waited to begin again. pHs were mostly around 3.50-3.60, though slightly higher in some instances. In ’22, the top of Fixin suffered from the same destructive June storm as Gevrey-Chambertin.

The Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, which was in bottle, had lovely bright fruit and a stony note, while the Fixin Village, a tank sample, was spicy, with some pure strawberry fruit and only a small touch of rusticity. The domaine’s flagship, the Fixin Les Crais (made with 30% stems and 20% new oak) had a bright, perfumed nose with strawberry notes, fine body and intensity, though some oak still to integrate, and an earthy, pure fruit finish. The Fixin En Combe Roy had a creamy touch and was quite nice, with good purity of fruit and lift. The Fixin Premier Cru Les Arvelets, from a vineyard that had suffered some June hail damage, was made with 50% stems, and had a nice pure open structure, though it thinned out a bit on the finish. (For total Burg geeks, Arvelets can also be called Hervelets, but—as with Clos de Bèze and Chambertin—Hervelets cannot be called Arvelets. Now you know:-)) We also tasted a very fine Gevrey Combe du Dessus, made with no whole clusters (sometimes circumstances, not design, dictate: according to Amélie, there was no room in the tank), which had a deep nose, lovely mineral purity throughout, fine delineation, and touch of salinity in the finish, followed by an excellent Vosne Village, with a slightly reduced nose that nonetheless showed good complexity, a pure fruit middle with a lovely silky texture, some slightly chewy tannins and a long finish. The Vosne Les Petits Monts (worked by hand, as there is no access for tractors) was made with 50% stems and 20% new oak and had a perfumed nose, with soy and a very slight hint of VA; on the palate, it was structured, intense, and spicy, with a large mouthfeel and excellent bright fruit on the extremely persistent finish. The Clos de Vougeot (also 50% stems and 20% new oak), while again having some slight VA hints, had great purity of fruit, mineral lift, a silky texture, and a long, light, elegant finish. Best of all was a first-rate Echézeaux, made with 80% stems and no new oak, from three small parcels in different lieux-dits, which had a complex and layered nose; while I may be overusing the word purity, it fits these wines beautifully, and this also had very refined tannins, excellent balance, and a very persistent finish. This is definitely a domaine to watch, and as climate change brings greater ripeness to formerly overlooked villages such as Fixin, whose more affordable properties draw the attention of young, sophisticated winemakers, these are likely to prove to be excellent value wines, something in short supply in Burgundy today.

Domaine des Lambrays: As I noted last year, the domaine has expanded, acquiring additional vineyards in 2021 in Nuits St.-Georges and Vosne-Romanée, and in 2022 in Morey St.-Denis. Jacques Devauges told us that the harvest had begun here on September 1^st. The Morey Village was pleasant, with lots of sweet fruit, and a champignon touch, along with a bit of dry tannin, while the Morey Les Loups (no longer the young vines of the Clos, this now includes wines from small parcels of premier cru owned by the domaine) was heavier, with more of a sense of the clay soils, and was quite dense, with good Morey character. The new Morey Clos Baulet, the smallest premier cru in Morey, had a lychee note on the nose, lighter body, and decent minerality, but I preferred the Morey Clos Sorbé, which despite a little reduction, had deep fruit and cocoa on the nose, good typicity on the palate, and a bright, complex, and spicy finish, with a note from the new oak as well. The Nuits La Richemone was somewhat reduced but was slightly spicy and salty with a mineral/acid underpinning, soft if slightly dry tannins, and a long finish. The Vosne Les Beaumonts was quite fine, with spicy red and black fruit notes on the nose; this was a well-balanced wine with excellent line and a pure, very long finish. The Clos des Lambrays (we were able to taste the final blend) was also excellent, with a nose of dark fruit, champignons, and a touch of garrigue; it had drive, lift, and energy, and was complex, with medium weight, fine balance, and refined tannins, all ending in an extremely long finish.

Clos de Tart: Alessandro Noli said the ’22 growing season was “as if you had two Julys”. However, he also observed that the grapes were less ripe, because of the yields, than in ’18, ’19 or ’20, and he did not think the ‘22s had the “exuberance” of the ‘20s. At Clos de Tart, they worked to manage the yields, beginning with pruning and including a green harvest before veraison, resulting in yields of about 28 hl/ha. Alessandro said they were among the earliest to begin harvesting, on August 26^th, with the aim of preserving freshness, and noted this was very much in contrast to his predecessor, Sylvain Pitiot, who liked to harvest late. He also said he has substantially reduced the extraction. Alcohols were 13.5%, with about 50% whole cluster used for the Clos de Tart and 60% new barrels. 

The Morey Village (from very young vines, with no new oak, and no whole clusters) was rich, ripe, and juicy, with a slightly hard edge and lots of tannin still, while the Morey Premier Cru La Forge de Tart showed very nice small berry fruit, touches of cinnamon, coffee, and bitter chocolate; the one nit is that it seemed to finish a little short. The Clos de Tart had a brambly nose, with ripe red fruits, cocoa powder, and champignons, while on the palate it was discreet and reserved, albeit with good depth, and the slightly dry but not severe tannins pushed forward at the end, leading to a very persistent finish. This wine is a bit different in character from many in this vintage, more reserved but perhaps also more serious; it will be interesting to watch as it matures.

Domaine Henri Gouges: Harvest began here on September 4^th, and alcohol levels were between 13.5-14%. Because of the hailstorms in June, yields were reduced to an average of 25 hl/ha. The Nuits Village was quite unforthcoming, but the Nuits Clos des Porrets St.-Georges was full of dark fruit while retaining its vibrancy, quite gourmand. The Nuits Les Pruliers had soft black fruits, earth, a salty note, and a chewy finish, while the Nuits Les Vaucrains showed a mix of sweet red and black fruit along with earth, mineral and hazelnut coffee notes, and soft tannins—a very crowd-pleasing Nuits. The Nuits Les St.-Georges, though, was at a different level from the prior wines, with a complex nose dominated by red berries along with some darker fruit notes, a velvety texture on entry, and then a pure mineral note; everything here was understated, balanced and harmonious, with refined tannins. This should be quite fine in time, but also accessible from an early age. 

Côte de Beaune:

Domaine Marquis d’Angerville: Guillaume d’Angerville began harvesting on August 23^rd, and he reiterated his belief that it’s necessary to give up a bit of phenolic ripeness to maintain pinot noir’s acidity and tension. He sees ’22 as being between ’18 and ’20 in terms of character and quality–not as profound as ’20, but with more exuberant fruit, while he felt ’18 hadn’t been picked early enough, but was a learning experience, citing the “brutal escalation” of alcoholic degree in recent hot vintages that has made the choice of picking dates far more critical than in the past. Average alcohols here in ’22 were 13.5%.

Both the Bourgogne Passetoutgrain and the Bourgogne were pleasant, ripe, and full of fruit, though obviously very different, with the 50% Gamay fruit prominent in the former. The Volnay Village was spicy and plummy on the nose and rich on the palate but with good acid balance, while the Volnay Premier Cru had a creamy texture and excellent complexity, and the Volnay Clos des Angles balanced its sweet fruit with minerally acidity, which carried through the finish. The Volnay Fremiets had a dense, pure middle and a saline finish; this was potentially very fine, though the VA was at the margin. I particularly liked the Volnay Caillerets, which as with all this range had wonderful transparency along with a complex nose of red and black fruit, deep spice and mineral notes, a bright mid-palate, very refined tannins, and a light finish suffused with pure fruit. The Volnay Taillepieds had a classic Volnay nose, with great complexity and depth; on the palate, this was ripe and almost plummy but with excellent lift, light and refined tannins, and a long spicy floral finish. The Volnay Champans had a reductive nose, but was dense and intense, a real heavyweight but with excellent acidity underpinning the fruit, and supple tannins. The Volnay Clos des Ducs, as usual, had a quite distinctive character, with a discreet nose hinting at great depth, while on the palate it was suave if not quite as precise today as one might expect, though the finish was pure, deep, and very complex, hinting at greater things to come. Overall, these are lovely wines, and while not quite at the heights of the ‘19s and ‘20s they will make for excellent drinking, probably at a relatively early age.

Domaine Lafarge: Frédéric Lafarge described ’22 as a classic vintage (pressed, he compared it to a combination of ’02 and ’99, high praise indeed and perhaps more so than we heard elsewhere), with perfectly ripe and mature grapes, and terroir driven. Volnay did not experience the heavy storms in June that affected the Côte de Nuits, with only a little rain in June, but rain at the perfect time in August helped bring the grapes to maturity. Harvesting here began on August 26^th. While the Bourgogne Passetoutgrain L’Exception had more of a Gamay fruit character than I personally prefer, the Bourgogne Passetoutgrain Anthologie, from 94-year-old vines, was remarkably good–with a charming ripe fruit expression, it was also bright and minerally. The Bourgogne Pinot Noir was balanced and minerally, if with some slightly dry tannins, and both the Volnay Village and Volnay Vendages Selectionées, while full of sweet ripe fruit, and evident minerality, had surprisingly strong tannins for this vintage. The Beaune Clos des Aigrots, by contrast, was a delicate and charming, earthy Beaune, with mild tannins and a fresh fruit finish, while the Beaune Grèves, from 101-year-old vines, was dense and complex, but exceedingly well-balanced and with real transparency, some evident but rounded tannins, and a long, pure finish. I especially liked the Volnay Les Mitans this year, with a complex, deep and structured nose, ripe strawberry fruit, great harmony and just a touch of refined tannin leading to a very long finish. The Volnay Les Caillerets was also excellent, with yet another deep and intense nose that just drew one in, hinting at greater complexity to come, and a creaminess on the palate, along with ripe fruit and excellent terroir transparency, the tannins a bit harder than Mitans but they will resolve in time. The Volnay Clos des Chênes had a beguiling nose that drew one in with strawberries and raspberries, cocoa, and cinnamon; it was well-structured, complex, balanced, and intense, the tannins completely ripe–a brilliant, persistent, calm and self-assured wine. The Volnay Clos du Château des Ducs (destemmed by hand, as was the Caillerets) was very different from the Clos des Chênes, with a deeper, more complex nose, of great purity and depth; on the palate, there was plenty of complex fruit but this had a more intense, almost brooding side to it, while the tannins were completely resolved and it had a super-long finish. As fine as it was (and will be), today I preferred the Clos des Chênes.

Domaine Y. Clerget: This continues to be a domaine to watch, as Thibault Clerget’s seeming insouciance belies a deep seriousness about his craft, and considerable talent. Thibault told us that he began harvesting on August 25^th, to keep the freshness of the wines, and that the wines’ alcoholic degrees ranged from 13.2-13.6%, with pHs of 3.40 to 3.45. He adjusts the whole cluster and new oak to fit each cuvée, and does no pigeage, only infusions. 

The Volnay Village was quite fresh, with bright primary fruit and charm, while the Volnay Carelle Sous la Chapelle (20% new oak, no stems) had terrific freshness and purity, with a minerally finish and barely perceptible tannins. The Volnay Clos des Angles (acquired from Rossignol-Changarnier in ’22 along with several other properties) was a bit reductive and harsh right now—this is being raised all in wine globes, which Thibault believes ultimately preserve freshness and keep the volatility low. However, the Volnay Santenots (20% new oak, 20% whole bunch), which saw 50% losses, as did the Carelle Sous La Chapelle, because of failing rootstock, was ripe, intense, with a relatively strong acidity for this vintage, an excellent mineral profile, and a lovely open finish. The Volnay Clos du Verseuil (typically the first parcel picked; 25% new oak, no stems) was denser and more complex, with marine notes on the nose, bright acidity, soil tones, and a lot of dry extract, though the tannins were perhaps edgier than some of the other cuvées here. The Volnay Les Caillerets (from 93-year-old vines; small berries, 15 hl/ha, 50% new oak, no stems) was particularly fine, with beautiful aromatics, including red currants, cherries, soy, and spice; this had a lovely fresh pure fruit middle, and was a refined and elegant wine with a spicy, pure finish. The Pommard Les Rugiens (20% whole cluster, 25% new oak) was earthy and dense, with ripe fruit but good balance, a salty touch, and a chewy finish. The Clos de Vougeot (from Grand Maupertuis), made with 50% whole cluster and 50% new oak, had a dense nose of blackberries, spice and notes of torrefaction; on the palate, there was plenty of ripe fruit but also excellent balance and fine density, plus refined and barely evident tannins and an extended finish—this was an elegant Clos de Vougeot that stands comparison with the best CVs of this vintage.

Domaine Chandon de Briailles: Picking began here on September 2^nd for the reds. Yields averaged 38 hl/ha, and alcohols were generally 13.2-13.8%, with pHs of 3.8-3.85 after malo. The domaine vinifies with 100% whole cluster. While the domaine, along with others, has moved to picking (in hot vintages) only in the morning, Claude de Nicolay said they were now considering picking instead only at night. She also said that, in her view, the ‘22 vintage had the sucrosity of ’19 and the freshness of ’20. The Savigny Les Lavières, bottled two weeks prior, was showing well, with plenty of ripe fruit, good lift, and a sense of the stems, as was the Corton Les Maréchaudes, which was rounded, with pure black cherry fruit and ripe tannins. The Corton Les Bressandes also had very pure dark fruit flavors, complexity and a soft mid-palate, though perhaps a slight hint of VA. The Corton Clos du Roi was softer, more minerally and less fruit-forward than the Bressandes and will take longer to come around—a wine that seemed perhaps to run counter to the general trend of the vintage.

Domaine Bachelet-Monnot: Located well off the beaten path in Dezize-lès-Maranges (at the southwestern limit of the Côte de Beaune), the Bachelet brothers are better known for their whites, reviewed below. However, they produce an excellent range of reds from Maranges and Santenay, communes that are benefitting substantially from climate change. The farming is organic and the wines are produced with 30% whole cluster on average, no pigeage, and are aged for about a year in barrel (25% new) and then for about six months of additional lees aging in tank. The reds were harvested beginning September 1^st. Marc Bachelet observed that the Maranges wines tend to have naturally low pHs. They make several different Maranges premiers crus, and all had excellent pure ruby colors. The Maranges La Fussière had a fresh nose with notes of blackcurrant and cumin, and on the palate combined ripe fruit and good acidity, with some medium strong tannins. The Maranges Clos de la Boutière, from old vines and made with 20% whole cluster, was rich, earthy, and dense, with an acidic bite and some still prominent tannins, while the Maranges Clos Roussots, made with 100% whole cluster, had a spicy black fruit and mineral nose, and a palate suffused with fresh fruit, with slightly rustic though not overbearing tannins. A Santenay Les Prarons was a bit heavy and dense, but the fruit was sweet and attractive, while the Santenay Les Charmes had more supporting acidity for the ripe sweet fruit and was juicy, saline, and quite attractive.

Domaine Paul Pillot: The Pillot reds really should not be overlooked–indeed, with global warming, the Chassagne reds are losing the sort of hard edge that often marked them (though they were, in the 19^thcentury, highly esteemed). The Santenay had nice bright black cherry fruit, excellent balance, resolved tannins, and good freshness—a fine, inexpensive Burgundy for everyday drinking. I also quite liked the Chassagne Clos St. Jean; with pure black cherry fruit, it was ripe but fresh and balanced, with good density. 

Domaine Chavy-Chouet: While the whites tend to dominate here, Romaric Chavy is also focused on his reds, which included a bright, high-toned Bourgogne La Taupe, an earthy but also fruity and very approachable Pommard Chanlins, and a Volnay Sous La Chapelle, made with 100% whole cluster, which had cinnamon and strawberry fruit on the nose and a bright, open palate. 

The Negociants: As I’ve commented before, the distinction between domaines and negociants is becoming increasingly blurred, as many of the domaines have developed negociant operations to expand their reach, while the top negociant firms are increasingly emphasizing their domaine properties, including, in the recent case of Bouchard Père et Fils, by severing many of their negociant relationships (and, sometimes, in a name change: Joseph Faiveley, one of the storied negociant firms, became Domaine Faiveley some time ago). Indeed, at the traditional large negociant firms we visit, the wines we taste are almost exclusively from the vineyards they own. Meanwhile, some smaller negociant firms, like Laurent Ponsot and Philippe Pacalet, have taken wing, eschewing the mass-market offerings (if anything in Burgundy can truly be called mass-market) that have supported the large houses, and focusing on the upper end of the quality range. And there are as well some new micro-negociants: talented winemakers relying mostly if not entirely on purchased grapes. Theirs is not, however, an easy path, as grape prices continue to rise and a young generation of vineyard owners, seeing the success of many of their peers, decides to stop selling to negociants and produce and bottle themselves. Indeed, one high-quality domaine in the Côte de Nuits, which had considerably expanded its negociant business over the last decade, has reportedly decided to stop, because of the escalation in grape prices and because “it’s hard to be sure what you’re getting”—a comment we heard more than once.

Maison Joseph Drouhin: Unfortunately, I was ill the day of our appointment, and only caught up afterward with a few samples of reds and whites. What I saw was excellent, and my colleagues attested to the high quality throughout the range. The Clos de Vougeot was medium bodied, with lots of sweet fruit up front, and an impressive mineral and fruit-filled finish that was bright, complex, and super-long. The Musigny nose jumped out of the glass from a foot away, and was pure and harmonious, with raspberry and currant notes and a mineral underpinning; this exuded class, and was understated and elegant, with–like the Clos de Vougeot–a very serious, attractive, and persistent finish.

Domaine Faiveley: Erwan Faiveley prefers the ’22 whites to the reds. He felt the reds had not gained much from the elevage and said that he had expected more density to emerge, but as a result, he felt the wines were closer in aspect to the ‘17s than to the ‘19s. Also, he noted that the storms in June had perhaps resulted in a little dilution in some of the Côte de Nuits wines. Harvesting began in late August in Mercurey, then the whites were picked, though the reds weren’t finished until near mid-September. Alcohols were below 14.2%, with pHs in the range of 3.7-3.8. The Mercurey Clos des Myglands was soft, charming, and easy, though ripe and full; from there we moved much higher on the ladder, to an excellent Nuits Les St.-Georges, which was velvety, ripe and earthy, well balanced and with very refined tannins—as excellent as the Gouges version was, this could be even better. The Nuits Chaignots had more of a mineral edge, and was more earthbound, than the St.-Georges, but it was quite dense, while the Chambolle Charmes was more of a crowd-pleaser, with lots of sweet fruit, though some tannins still to resolve (both this and the Chaignots had some whole clusters added). Among the grands crus, both the Clos de Vougeot and the Clos de Bèze, while showing terroir character, seemed a bit lead-footed to me. I much preferred the Echézeaux En Orveaux, with its complex and subtle nose, positive acidity on the palate that kept it well-balanced, ripe tannins, relatively light touch of oak, and refined, long finish. The Mazis-Chambertin was also highly attractive—a powerful wine, broad-shouldered but still well-balanced, with excellent mineral lift, ripe tannins, and a bright, long finish. The Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley showed deep ripe fruit, and was unusually accessible but still well-balanced, complex, and with some strong tannins giving it good support—a wine that speaks (well) of its origins. On this day, though, my favorite was the Latricières-Chambertin, which was wonderfully pure and transparent, rich but not cloying, with a lot of power, polished tannins, and a sense of subtle depths just beginning to emerge. All in all, the domaine did quite well in this vintage–including the whites reviewed below.

Maison Benjamin Leroux: Ben Leroux is a talented and thoughtful winemaker, and a keen observer of the Burgundy scene. He is among those who now pick early in the morning, hiring a bigger team to pick faster, as picking windows become shorter (in particular, in 2023, sugar levels shot up extremely quickly at the end of the growing season—but that’s a story for next year). Ben sees the primary concern in the vineyards, though, as being with the rootstocks (in particular the 161/49C, which as I’ve written about before, is beginning to fail in the persistently hot dry conditions); replacing plantings, and then waiting for the young vines to mature, is a very long process. In the cellar, he is using more large (450 liter) barrels, noting that higher alcohol wines extract more from the oak, and that the larger barrels can give a more velvety texture. He also uses varying amounts of whole cluster. Often in the past, he said, wine was made by recipe; now, it has become more individualized. For example, more winemakers now use varying percentages of stems, and little or no pigeage, as well as making other adjustments both in the vineyard and in the cellar, based not just on the character of the vintage but also what they believe is best for the individual cuvée—and it wasn’t that long ago that only a small handful of producers used whole clusters at all, and frequent pigeage was the order of the day. 

As for 2022, Ben believes it is a vintage in which terroir speaks. He began picking on August 26^th for the whites and said that his alcohol levels for the range were mostly below 13%, with average pHs for the whites of 3.3 and for the reds of 3.6. The reds had been racked once, in the spring. Among the Côte de Beaune reds that I quite liked were the Volnay Clos de la Cave des Ducs (a monopole), fully destemmed, with a nose of dark cherries and cinnamon that came on in the glass, a creamy texture with good acidic lift, well-modulated tannins and a creamy finish; the Volnay Caillerets, 2/3 whole cluster, open and with excellent clarity; an intriguing Blagny La Piece Sous le Bois, fully destemmed, which had a complex nose, a silky texture, and was ripe and charming, with some earthy but not overbearing tannins, and the Pommard Rugiens (from Rugiens Haut, 2/3 whole cluster), which was plummy and earthy, though with a pure, bright middle, excellent intensity, a stem touch, and relatively round tannins leading to a long spicy finish. From the Côte de Nuits, both the Gevrey Village and Vosne Village showed their respective village characters well, the former open and pure if a bit straightforward on the palate, the latter with great purity of fruit and well-modulated tannins. Particularly excellent were a charming Echézeaux (from En Orveaux), with an intense nose of ripe fruit and just a light touch from the oak, the palate light (in a good way) and elegant, and the tannins largely suppressed; and a powerful and intense Chambertin, with a complex nose hinting at greater depths to unfold and a palate showing intense fruit, excellent transparency to the terroir, and buried tannins– a wine that was just beginning to reveal its complexity and refinement.

Philippe Pacalet: Philippe started his small negociant operation in 2001. He is a voluble, charming—indeed sometimes impish—opinionated, and knowledgeable host. Philippe describes his approach as “old school. I work exclusively with old vines, fermented with natural yeasts, no destemming, very little new wood.” This was only my second visit here, but I’ve been impressed by how consistent the quality is across a broad range of non-domaine wines, with each expressing its terroir character. 

We began with five village blends, and two lieux-dits: a ripe and primary Ladoix, clean and pleasant; a Gevrey with good freshness and Gevrey character, and still a fair amount of tannin to resolve; a perfumed and spicy Nuits, “more chalky than tannic” in Philippe’s words, with a long, pure finish; a Pommard that was more in a fruity style than usual for Pommard, but certainly very attractive, and with a stem touch; a Pommard Rugiens (from a village-level part of the vineyard), whose vines date from 1905, that had strong soil notes and excellent structure, along with pure cherry fruit, if a slightly fierce finish; a particularly fine Vosne Village, with black cherry, blackberry, coffee and smoke notes on the nose, bright primary fruit in the middle, a strong soy element, good structure and some strong tannins; and finally a Vosne Hautes Mazières that was showing some reduction on both nose and palate, but it was well-structured, with lots of dry extract, and deep minerality—and certainly has fine potential.

Among the premiers crus, we tasted a very good Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru, with a nose of perfume, bacon and iron filings (sounds odd, but it worked) and a pure middle, a wine that was balanced and easy to appreciate, if slightly rustic; an old vines Volnay Robardelle, with an enticing nose that had a touch of musk and other exotic spice, along with dark fruit, mineral and soy notes, and was distinctive and charming on the palate, leading to a very long finish with some slight heat; a Nuits Aux Argillas that was quite fine (Philippe noted that there was no clay here, despite the name), with lovely aromatics, a creamy texture, good structure and a pure finish; a rarely seen Chambolle Les Lavrottes that, despite reduction, showed a pure finish with sweet, almost briary fruit; and a Chambolle Les Sentiers that again featured superb aromatics and was light, pure, elegant, and silky, with great texture and subtlety. Best of all was the Vosne Petits Monts, raised in larger (500 and 400 liter) barrels, which was full of sweet fruit yet fresh and perfectly balanced, harmonious, and elegant, with extremely refined tannins.

The grands crus also showed well, including the Corton Bressandes, from 80 year old vines, which was medium-bodied with good lift and transparency, refined tannins, and a long, pure finish, while the Charmes-Chambertin was even better–with attractive ripe fruit, it was a seemingly easy and accessible wine yet with fine weight and transparency to the terroir and a long, nuanced finish. The Echézeaux had a deep, enticing nose and on the palate plenty of sweet dark fruit but good acidity to balance it, excellent lift, mineral undertones, strong but relatively refined tannins, and plenty of dry extract. Clos de Vougeot, from a 500-liter barrel, had lots of dry extract, and was very intense, but without quite the brightness of the Echézeaux, and we finished with the Ruchottes-Chambertin, which while reduced, showed excellent promise, with a silky mouthfeel, excellent transparency, and buried tannins.

Maison Louis Jadot: Frédéric Barnier was among those noting the need to pick quickly once harvesting begins (Jadot started at the end of August for the whites and some Côte de Beaune reds). Alcohol levels here were 13.2-13.5% on average, and pHs on average 3.65-3.70. They still perform twice-daily pigeage during fermentation, across the range. Overall, I found the reds to be well-made but perhaps having given in a bit too much to the plush, easy side of the vintage. 

Among those I liked were the Beaune Cras, with a restrained earthy nose, ripe fruit, and good terroir character; the Beaune Clos des Ursules, with a smoky, spicy nose and an interesting saline note on the palate, along with ripe fruit; and an especially fine Corton Pougets (they are the last producer of red Pougets, Rapet having converted their vines to Corton-Charlemagne in 2021) that had excellent body and balance, and was unusually accessible for a Corton, but still had depth and complexity. The Gevrey Clos St. Jacques was soft and easy, with sweet red cherry fruit and good balance, though for me it lacked the drive and structure of Jadot’s best vintages of this wine. The Clos de Bèze was big and meaty, with lots of sweet fruit; it had power and real depth, though also could have used just a bit more structure. The Clos St. Denis, with 30% whole cluster (for technical reasons, they rarely use stems here) had more lift, good supporting acidity and structure, and some strong tannins that are likely to preserve it well, while still keeping the grace of Clos St. Denis. The Chambolle Amoureuses had a complex and pure nose, with some elegant raspberry fruit; the palate was slightly soft, and while the tannins helped give shape to the wine, here too one felt that, while certainly very nice, the wine was not giving everything of which the vineyard is capable. The Musigny had a very complex nose, with both red and black fruit notes and the classic orange top note; on the palate there was excellent presence, structure and transparency, and the tannins were quite refined, leading to a long, spicy, citric finish. 

Maison Bouchard Père et Fils: Significant changes are afoot at Bouchard following the sale in 2022 of a controlling interest in its parent company, Henriot, to Artémis Domaines (which is owned by François Pinault). In August 2023, Bouchard announced the sale of William Fèvre to Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite (though the closing was not scheduled to take place before year-end). Furthermore, Bouchard has been dropping many of their negociant relationships, and focusing on domaine properties—and rumors are rife that some of the “lesser” domaine properties may be sold and other top-level properties purchased.

Amid all the turmoil, the marketing team is clearly in disarray, and it would not be surprising if the winemaking team took their eyes off the ball as well. Nevertheless, the winemaking has remained quite serious here, and while the reds tended to reflect the soft, sweet, and velvety side of this vintage (a stylistic choice), the whites were generally more impressive. Harvest began on August 26^th with the Volnay Caillerets, and then picking the whites began on the 29^th. The challenge was keeping the grapes cool, but sanitary conditions were excellent, with only some dried berries needing to be triaged. The maison increased its use of whole cluster to maintain freshness, using 50-100% for the Côte de Nuits reds and 30% for the Côte de Beaune reds. Average new oak was about 30%. They see the reds as comparable to ’15 and ’19 for the elegance of the tannins. Alcohol levels averaged 13.5-14% for both reds and whites, and pHs averaged 3.8 in red, 3.2 in white. In general, we saw a smaller sampling than in past years, but enough to get a feeling for the vintage at this address. 

Among the reds, the Beaune Clos de la Mousse was plummy, with a velvety texture, and some light tannins; the Beaune Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus had prominent dark fruit (plums), sweet strawberries and an oak touch, and ripe tannins, with a very long sweet fruit finish, and the Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot, while slightly reduced, was soft, sweet and velvety, though with some supporting acidity and a very long finish. The Corton seemed more dark and brooding than others in the range, with better structure and good density, along with some not atypically chewy Corton tannins. The Nuits Les Cailles was earthy, with plummy fruit and a little minerality, though it didn’t have the velvet texture of many of these wines, and not much sense of terroir. The Clos de Bèze was the only negociant wine we tasted (though even here, Bouchard had specified the date of harvest); it had a nose of greengage plums, grilled meat, soy and black cherry fruit, while on the palate it was soft, velvety and easy, though not without a mineral edge to it, and a long positive fruit finish.

WHITES:

Côte de Beaune:

Note: As mentioned above, Domaine Leflaive has in recent years chosen to present wines in bottle, and consequently, we tasted the 2021s. While not reviewed in this article about the ‘22s, they were certainly among the very best whites of the 2021 vintage.

Domaine Paul Pillot: As usual, the wines here were exceptional, and among the best white wines of the vintage. In the crazy world we live in, where some producers’ Aligoté and Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc can bring prices north (even well north) of $1000, I remain grateful that the Pillot wines, while hardly a secret, are still relatively reasonably priced. (The Pillot Aligoté, by the way, can be found for $25-35 and is well-made, easy, the perfect aperitif on a hot day, and not trying to pretend it competes with Corton-Charlemagne.)

Thierry Pillot began the harvest early, on August 24^th, which worked well to preserve the freshness of the wines, and as Thierry noted, more than a few others who decided to wait had to acidify. The St Aubin Les Charmois was bright and energetic, with a long mineral finish, while the Chassagne Village had a subdued floral nose, but on the palate, this had premier cru weight, good energy, and a long mineral finish. The Chassagne Les Mazures was excellent, a wine of energy, structure and purity, while the Chassagne Clos St. Jean was bright, floral, with an amazing line of pure fruit and minerality that ran straight through it to the spicy long finish, and the Chassagne Les Caillerets was even better, with beautiful pure minerally acidity married with white flowers, pear and peach notes; this had excellent line, balance and harmony, and a long pure finish, and this year was one of the outstanding wines in the range. The Chassagne La Grand Montagne had more lift and intensity than the Caillerets, and more weight—in Thierry’s description, more stony and more “droit”; it was a terrific wine, though I still preferred the Caillerets for its almost aching purity. The Chassagne Les Grandes Ruchottes had excellent density and intensity, plus power and weight, and I felt it needed more time to unfold. As usual, the Chassagne La Romanée was the best of the lineup, and a grand cru in all but name: it had power but also restraint, flowers, citrus, pear notes, minerals, all in harmony and purity—a wine of concentration and refinement, reflecting a sort of quiet force.

Domaine François Carillon: I’ve always liked the wines here, but in the last few years, I feel that François has really upped his game, producing wines with ever more precision and energy. The entire range of ‘22s is outstanding, beginning with a floral, minerally, crowd-pleasing Bourgogne Chardonnay and a brightly floral Puligny Village that had excellent acidity and balance. The Puligny Clos du Vieux Château had more body than the regular Village, and was dominated by lime and mineral notes, with a nice floral touch in addition, and good structure. The Puligny Les Enseignères was charming and precise, with ripe fruit melding with citrus and mineral notes, fine purity, and a remarkably long finish for a lieu-dit. The Puligny Champ-Gain had a nose of lime, spiced pears, and white flowers and a gorgeously pure minerality in the middle, followed by a deft touch of sweet fruit—a wine that had lots of energy and good tension. The Puligny Les Folatières was even better–with excellent volume and tension, it was stony and pure, and very much a terroir-driven wine. The Puligny Les Combettes was again very cool, even angular in its minerality, with great precision and cut, but supported by bright fruit, and a long positive rich finish. For the Puligny Les Perrières, I first wrote “wow”—the nose was spicy, creamy, complex, and full, with great minerality; on the palate, everything was in place, and there was a sense of power but also reserve, all leading to a finish that just wouldn’t quit. A great range in 2022!

Domaine Bachelet-Monnot: The whites here in ’22 were quite successful (see above for a review of the reds). Picking began August 25^th, and the wines have alcohol levels in the range of 12.5-13% and generally low pHs (3.15-3.28 for Maranges and Santenay). The Bourgogne Blanc (from vineyards in Puligny and Chassagne) had nice energy and intensity, while the Maranges La Fussière had a nose dominated by white flowers and sweet fruit, with a touch of gingerbread, a pure middle, and a dry stony finish. The St. Aubin En Remilly was stony and pure, with good volume and freshness, while the Puligny Village had a lovely pure minerality, and was both dense and intense. The Meursault Clos du Cromin, from 80+ year old vines, had an intense nose, and penetrating minerality, along with a spicy finish—a dense, powerful, and delineated Meursault. The Puligny Folatières and Referts were a study in contrasts: the Folatières was the richer, larger, and more powerful of the two, and had exceptional length, while the Referts, with a pure and alluring nose, was a vibrant wine of harmony, lift and balance; for me, it stood out for its raciness and purity.

Domaine des Comtes Lafon: This is another domaine where the younger generation (Léa and Pierre Lafon) has taken over, without missing a step. The best wines here are simply stunning in 2022. Harvest began on August 24^th. The wines had been racked once, in July, and were put back in barrel, where they were to stay until early 2024. The Meursault Clos de la Barre had a deep and pure nose, and on the palate, it combined minerality with ripe fruit and crème brûlée notes, excellent density, and a spicy saline finish. The Meursault Goutte d’Or also had a brilliant nose, and on the palate, it was velvety, with a pure minerality, a saline touch, and a long finish. The Meursault Genevrières was a standout: it had a spicy nose with pear, apple and white flower notes and a nice mineral touch; this was a powerful Genevrières, but quite racy and perfectly balanced, with a long, saline, juicy finish. The Meursault Charmes was richer and heavier than the Genevrières but still had fine minerally acidity. As terrific as these last two were, the Meursault Perrières was for me even better: pure and enticing, restrained in an aristocratic way, with gorgeous fruit, a floral touch, and great transparency–a sublime, harmonious and complete wine. And then there was the Montrachet: with an amazing nose that had notes of honey, flowers, spice, minerals, pears, and crème brûlée, it exuded a sense of harmony, which continued through to the silky-textured palate and then seamlessly on to the almost endless finish—this was perhaps the best white wine of the trip.

Domaine Latour-Giraud: Earlier in the year, I had a conversation with a deeply knowledgeable Burgundian critic (not the co-author of Vintages, who also fits that description), about how the significantly increased number of high quality red wine producers in Burgundy had not been matched for whites. He did, however, name Latour-Giraud as among his favorite Meursault producers, and we both lamented that the wines are not better known. Perhaps it is the understated character of Jean-Pierre Latour, but certainly he is not only among the better, but also among the more thoughtful, producers of white Burgundy, and it is always a pleasure and an education to hear his views on the vintages. In 2022, he began harvesting on August 24^th, and while he worries that the wines may be slightly lacking in energy and complexity (perhaps compared with his terrific ‘20s), I found the results excellent. The Meursault Cuvée Charles Maxime, along with the Meursault Narvaux, had been undergoing fining, and both wines seemed a bit strict as a result, but the Charles Maxime still had an excellent complex nose, with tree fruit notes on the palate and a floral, open finish, while the Narvaux was floral, lemony, and pure, with some strong acidity and a bit of tannin at the end. The premiers crus, though, were showing extremely well, including a Meursault Charmes that had a complex, harmonious nose and a pure, creamy and minerally palate, with excellent tension and great length; a Meursault Perrières that had power and was intensely stony and strongly delineated, but seemed to need time—still “a clenched fist,” as I wrote in my notes. The Meursault Genevrières had another intensely spicy and minerally nose, while the palate was dense, energetic, complex, and tightly wound, with a long dynamic finish. The Meursault Genevrières Cuvée des Pierre had even more intensity, with sweet fruit set in a context of pure, driven minerality, and a sense of restrained power, plus a bright, spicy finish that just kept going and going….

Domaine Chavy-Chouet: Romaric Chavy, who took over the estate in 2014, continues to grow the domaine both qualitatively and quantitatively, adding several parcels this past year. Harvest at the domaine began on August 25^th, and Romaric said pHs were in the range of 3.2 to 3.35. The vintage reminds him of the ‘20s, with its density, salinity, and crunchiness, but he noted that the ‘20s were more dominated by the fruit, whereas he felt there was more focus in the ‘22s.

The wines here were quite successful in ’22. The Bourgogne Aligoté Les Maréchaux was very attractive, a bit chardonnay-like in its breadth but with some extra bite; the Bourgogne Femelottes was well made, with a touch of creaminess and good clarity to it, and the Maranges Blanc (the domaine’s first vintage for this wine) was medium-bodied, with a spicy and pure nose. The St. Aubin Les Murgers des Dents de Chien was showing very well: buttery, ripe, and rich, but with enough acidity to balance it, this will be a crowd-pleaser. The Meursault Vireuils had remarkable richness for a lieu-dit, and was intensely spicy. The Meursault Clos des Corvées de Citeau, a monopole of the domaine, was showing very well, and was one of my favorites in the range: it had a deep, pure nose that drew one in, with positive minerality, ripe sweet tree fruit, and lemon and clotted cream notes; this had a lot of weight but carried it well. The Puligny Les Champs Gain had excellent acidity and cut and was penetrating and pure with a long spicy finish; both this and the Clos des Corvées de Citeau expressed their terroirs well. The Meursault Genevrières was marked by its enticing aromatics: a floral, deep, and minerally nose, with soft fruit but lovely purity in the mid-palate, all led to a driven and expressive mineral finish.

Maison Henri Boillot: Henri Boillot has come out of semi-retirement, following some family turmoil that resulted in his son Guillaume leaving the maison. Henri was in a very good mood the day we saw him. He said harvest had begun on August 25^th, and that in his view the ‘22s were similar to the ‘20s, but he thought there was more energy in the finishes of both reds and whites in ’22. His ’22 whites were showing extremely well (the reds have always struck me as a bit overwrought and this year was no different). The nose of the Meursault Genevrières was bursting with floral, fruity, spicy notes and had a bright and transparent mineral touch, though I found the oak spice (from 50% new barrels) a bit prominent. The Puligny Les Pucelles, though with the same oak treatment, was less affected by it, and had great minerality and plenty of sweet fruit, coupled with lots of energy and direction, while the Puligny Clos de la Mouchère (70% new oak) was more floral than the Pucelles, softer and less serré, and quite rich in the mid-palate—it’s highly appealing, though I would drink this on the early side. The Bâtard (100% new oak) was impressive: the nose was reserved and floral but with layers that just kept unfolding; on the palate there was good acidic lift, along with power and concentration; this had excellent tension, and a sense of gravitas. The Montrachet (Henri was definitely in a good mood!) was brilliant: a layered, subtle, complex yet aristocratic nose, with spice, flowers, lime, minerals, and honey under, while the palate had great acidic lift and energy and perfect balance, and the finish was both highly refined and extremely extended. For whatever reason, Montrachet (at least based on the examples we saw) really seems to shine in 2022—which may seem like a stunningly obvious statement, but so often, frankly, I prefer the understatement and elegance of great Chevalier to the frequently more ponderous Montrachet—in ’22, however, the latter achieved the balance and elegance that’s not always as evident as it should be in this famous appellation.

Maison Bouchard Père et Fils: The whites had finished their elevage in traditional Burgundy barrels and were now assembled in large foudres. The Meursault Genevrières was very good, with a pure nose of white flowers, a sense of the eponymous juniper berries, and a lot of minerality; the entry was bright, followed by a creamy middle and again a bright finish. The Meursault Perrières was even better: while not super-crisp, it was modulated, easy, leaning to fruit and flowers but with a clear mineral underpinning and long finish. The Corton Charlemagne had a deep mineral nose, as well as power and drive, and a touch of silkiness—a very attractive CC in a relatively accessible style, and with a persistent, juicy finish. The Chevalier-Montrachet was soft, floral, and charming, also developing a silky texture, but didn’t seem to have the supreme elegance of the best examples. The Montrachet, however, was quite impressive. The nose was exceptional: creamy, with beeswax, lemon curd, honey, white flowers, and minerals, while the palate was more minerally, layered, and complex (“mild-mannered but self-assured”, I wrote), and it had an extremely extended finish. 

Domaine Faiveley: The whites here were strong performers in ’22. The Meursault Charmes was spicy, bright, and minerally, with floral and butter notes and a powerful mineral finish. The Puligny Champ Gain was particularly fine, classic Puligny with great tension, deep minerality, and a sense of power. While the Bienvenues-Bâtard had an enticing coolness on the palate, it seemed to lack a little refinement, and was overshadowed by a terrific Bâtard, with great purity, freshness and intensity, and lovely floral and stony notes. The Corton-Charlemagne, which rarely misses here, had a pure and intense nose, with notes of spice and lemon and a super-long finish. As Erwan noted, all these are accessible now, even though they will gain nuance with age. 

Maison Benjamin Leroux: The Leroux whites we tasted were all marked by their fresh and attractive aromatics, suggesting that picking dates had been well-chosen. We began with a particularly fine Bourgogne, an estate wine from Meursault, that was spicy, bright, slightly leesy (it was now in tank, on the lees), creamy and minerally. The St. Romain Sous le Château (as prices escalate, and climate change brings ripeness to the “forgotten” villages, expect to see more value-based offerings from places like St. Romain) was fresh, floral, and clean, while the Meursault Village (an intriguing combination from vineyards both at the foot of the slope and closer to the top, in Blagny) was pure, fresh, and very minerally. Leroux seems to have a particular affinity for the wines of Hameau de Blagny (as do I, having rented a house there in the middle of the vineyards for several summers), producing both excellent reds and whites from this tiny hamlet on the Meursault-Puligny border. The Meursault Blagny La Piece Sous le Bois, an estate wine, was particularly good, with a pure and fresh nose of light apples, toast, cream and minerals, and a saline note, all of which carried through to the palate. The Meursault Charmes Dessus was showing some of the effects of a recent racking, but had good energy and terroir character, as did the Meursault Genevrières, which really popped, a floral, intense, and racy wine with notes of pear spice and lemon, and a long minerally finish—this is definitely worth seeking out. The Bâtard, by contrast, seemed to be much riper, with a slight tropical touch on the nose, though minerally and powerful on the palate—a good wine, but at least on this day, I was more excited by the Genevrières.

Maison Louis Jadot: Some malos were, as is usual here, blocked. Frédéric Barnier did not think ’22 had quite the freshness of ’20, comparing it to a cross between ’17 and ’15. Nonetheless, at the top level, there are some excellent whites. While I found the Puligny Les Combettes a bit on the sweet side, though enjoyable, and the Puligny Clos de la Garenne, which had a bright nose with citrus and minerals, was a bit rich and fat on the palate (more ’15 than ’17, in this case), the Bâtard was a very fine wine, with the acidity and drive coming through on the palate and all the elements in place for this wine to develop and grow. The extremely attractive Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles had a pure nose and was bright, coiled, floral, and refined, with a very long finish. The nose of the Montrachet was restrained, but it exhibited both richness and balance on the palate and, again, an extended finish—an excellent wine, though not necessarily better than the Demoiselles. The Corton Charlemagne, served last, had bright mineral notes on the nose, and a creamy touch, and was slightly fatter than a classic CC but had a long, pure mineral finish.

Maison Joseph Drouhin: As noted above, because of illness I did not get to taste a broad range, but the few I tasted were uniformly excellent. The Beaune Clos des Mouches had a nose of spice, white flowers, cream and anise, fine balance, and a rich, creamy middle, while the Corton Charlemagne was understated in an elegant way, with excellent line, an excellent balance of minerals and fruit, and a very long finish. The Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche showed remarkably complex spice notes along with anise, minerals, flowers, and pears; again, it was a harmonious and subtle wine with an enticing, extremely extended finish.

François Labet/Domaine Pierre Labet: François has produced some particularly fine whites in ’22, beginning with a Bourgogne Blanc Vielles Vignes that was quite floral on the nose and minerally and pure on the palate. The Beaune Clos du Dessus des Marconnets had a touch of orange peel on the nose, and was floral and earthy, with a stony finish; it was a good wine but surpassed by the Beaune Clos des Coucherias (the first harvest, from young vines), which was fresh, dynamic and vibrant–très gourmand. The Meursault Tillets, which is a sleeper and can be excellent value in the top vintages, was still a bit subdued on the nose, but quite vibrant on the palate, with a nice blend of citrus, spice and minerals. 

Philippe Pacalet: The whites had been racked recently, so we were only able to taste two, as a brief sample: a Ladoix Village, with spice and lime on the nose, a pure middle, and medium acidity; and a Meursault Limousin, with a lovely pure nose of pear, apple and minerals, and an anise touch, good weight and richness, but still excellent balance.

Other Whites: In a fine white wine vintage such as this, it is perhaps not surprising that several domaines that complement their reds with a small number of whites produced some quite attractive wines in this vintage. These included, in no particular order, Marquis d’Angerville’s balanced and charming Aligoté and Bourgogne Blanc, and an even better Meursault Santenots, with lovely mineral purity and excellent tension; Berthaut-Gerbet’s Fixin Blanc Champs des Charmes–as best I can remember, the first Fixin Blanc I’ve ever tasted–that was quite attractive, with good mineral expression; a floral and buttery Marsannay Les Grasses Têtes Blanc from Bruno Clair, who also produced a very fine, balanced Corton Charlemagne; and a Beaune Clos des Aigrots Blanc from Lafarge that was spicy, earthy, pure and complex. 

Chablis:

As noted above, we weren’t able to spend enough time in Chablis to get a full picture of the vintage, and this year, our exposure to the ‘22s was foreshortened further, as Samuel Billaud had forgotten about our appointment and had no barrel samples of ’22 to show us (though he compared ‘22 to the ’17 and ’12 vintages in Chablis). He did graciously open a lot of bottles—including a stunningly good 2020 Chablis Clos, an excellent ’19 of the same wine, and some quite nice ‘21s. Based on the quality of these wines, and on prior visits, I would be surprised if the ‘22s did not turn out well here.

Maison William Fèvre: As mentioned above, William Fèvre is being sold to the Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, though the sale had not yet taken place at the time of our visit (in any event, the vineyards mostly belong to the Fèvre family and are leased to the maison). Alain Marcuello, our guide to the intricacies of the vineyard holdings and the specifics of their production, said he thought the ’22 vintage resembled 2015 but with more freshness. Alcohols here were in the range of 13-13.5% and yields on average about 50hl/ha. There are some excellent wines at Fèvre in ’22, particularly among the grands crus, but they don’t equal the ‘20s from this estate, which were simply stunning (see my review of that vintage). 

The two Village wines we tasted didn’t seem particularly interesting, but among the premiers crus, there were some excellent offerings, including the Chablis Vaillons, with a mineral and gunflint nose, and creamy and fruity palate notes, plus a light, pure finish—this had clear Chablis character, but also an overlay of charm. The Chablis Les Lys seemed a bit suppressed by a recent treatment with SO2, but one could still detect real purity here—this could be quite good once it settles down. The Chablis Fourchaume (only separated from the Vaulorent in some vintages), though slightly turbid, showed excellent fruit to balance the minerality, and was becoming elegant on the finish, while the Chablis Vaulorent had a discreet minerally nose and palate notes of pear and quince; this was saline and quite marine, with a chalky and slightly smoky finish. The Chablis Montée de Tonnerre was characterized by soft and elegant fruit and excellent balance. Among the grands crus, the Valmur was very marine on the nose, but subtle, with ripe fruit notes and a strong, punchy minerality on the palate, while Chablis Les Preuses was full-bodied and ripe, with strong chalky notes, a bit of oak influence (most of the grands crus get 25% new oak), and a sunny disposition. The two best wines of the range, in my view, were the Chablis Côte de Bouguerots, which showed a positive pure minerality on the nose and had power, intensity, torque, a lot of ripe fruit and a dry chalky finish; and the Chablis Les Clos, which managed its weight well: it had beautiful acidic lift, with oyster shell and saline notes, pear fruit, a floral touch, and good transparency—an elegant wine, for all its weight and density.

Domaine Bessin-Tremblay: This was only our second visit, and I continue to find much to like here. Romain Bessin, who recently took over the domaine from his parents, has now been joined by his brother Antoine, who guided us through the 2022 vintage. They began harvesting on August 27^th. Typically, the domaine uses 20-50% new oak for the village and premiers crus and 50-100% for the grands crus. The Chablis Village was easy and charming, very pleasant and gourmand; while the Chablis Vielles Vignes, from 40-60 year old vines and with very little new oak, was flintier and spicier on the nose and full of ripe fruit on the palate that was balanced by excellent acidity. The Chablis Montmains was showing a fair amount of CO2, but had excellent body and length, with a saline, briny palate—this could be good but needs time to settle in. The Chablis La Forêt (a climat of Montmains that they separate when there’s enough for a distinct cuvée) had notes of cream, chalk, and citrus, and was more floral than the Montmains, with some CO2 here, algae, lime and orange, and quite strong acidity. The Chablis La Fourchaume had a subdued but subtle nose, with spice, chalk and minerally acidity, pears and quince, a floral note and a persistent minerally finish. The Chablis La Fourchaume La Pièce au Comte, from 45-70 year old vines, was even better, with a very pure mineral and floral nose, great density, excellent tension on the palate and notes of chalk, algae, and citrus. The Chablis Valmur was also quite good, with a discreet nose of oyster shell; there was a touch of sweetness on the palate, along with spice and chalk notes, a floral component, and a very long finish.

© Douglas E. Barzelay