Bordeaux 2022 – Quality not Quantity!

The key critics have published their scores and rated Bordeaux 2022 as a classic vintage, we look at their top scoring wines for investment insight.

The critics and wine investment

The role of the fine wine critic, and the influence of a select few on the wine investment market is well understood and an important function of the industry. Rare critics, such as Robert Parker Jnr, have had so much impact they have even influenced viticulture over the years and their opinions have moved prices and markets in investment wines.

We are now in an era where fine wine producers have phenomenal marketing budgets and the ultimate clout in terms of access to supply. Can critics remain immune to relationships with growers and provide a pointer to quality investors can trust? During a recent interview with Liv-ex, Neal Martin explained his view of the role of the quality guides for fine wine consumers and investors.

“I think it’s more and more important that you say what you think, you don’t pull your punches. … For Vinous, keeping that independence is more important now than ever. … Honesty and frankness are extremely important. … The most important thing for me is to write a report deserving of the importance I give to Bordeaux wines.”

It goes without saying that integrity is paramount, but the top critics also have a unique insight to the world of fine wine. The very significant experience of these experts is astounding. They have decades of experience, each with a treasure trove archive of tasting notes which provide the ability to refer to detailed information they have compiled on wines that date back across careers to the 1970s for some.

Which are the most influential wine critics in 2023?

Robert Parker Jnr was the original ‘super-star’ critic and paved the way for the modern wine critic of the 21^st Century. He established the Wine Advocate in the 1970s and his 100-point scoring system is still widely used today.

The market is now perhaps provided with a more rounded review with the emergence of several key critics in place of the singular Parker. These being;

• Antonio Galloni,
• Neal Martin,
• Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW,
• Jancis Robinson CBE, MW,
• James Suckling,
• Jeb Dunnuck,
• and the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley.

Bordeaux-based wine journalist, Jane Anson, is also becoming an important guide to the region’s wines amongst others.

Neal Martin’s top scored Bordeaux 2022 En Primeurs

At this very earliest stage Neal Martin, seen as the ultimate expert on Bordeaux En Primeurs, describes 2022 as “a very good vintage, but with some caveats”. He commented in a recent video interview with Liv-ex that “When consumers taste the 2022s they are going to be different to what they expect. The wines are more complicated.”

Martin rarely attributes the potential for perfection so the three wines scored 98 – 100 points have received an extraordinary rating.

Source: Liv-ex.com.

* Former St Emilion Grand Cru Class A, withdrew from classification in 2022

** Pomerol does not have a Classification system

For more on Neal Martin’s view of the 2022 vintage visit Vinous.com

Antonio Galloni’s top scored Bordeaux 2022 En Primeurs

Vinous.com founder, Antonio Galloni comments that “the best 2022s combine flavour, intensity, energy and finesse in a way that [he] can really describe as magical.”  He believes that six wines have the potential for perfection.

The critic expressed his concern for pricing this vintage at En Primeur and that current high interest rates could impact the campaign’s success. Negociants who rely on loans to acquire their full allocations from the Chateaux may be badly impacted in the current environment, which could impact market supply.

Source: Liv-ex.com

* Former St Emilion Grand Cru Class A, withdrew from classification in 2022

** Pomerol does not have a Classification system

For more details from Galloni on the 2022 watch his video with Neal Martin

Lisa Perrotti-Brown’s top scored Bordeaux 2022 En Primeurs

‘Bordeaux 2022 is a future classic!’ The Wine Independent’s founder and former Wine Advocate editor, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, observed that ‘winemaking techniques across Bordeaux were more varied and even more divisive in 2022 than most other vintages’…. This resulted in ‘one of the most heterogeneous vintages in terms of style’ that the critic has ever tasted.

In her view ‘the top wines of the 2022 Bordeaux vintage are bright, multi-layered, and luminous. And there are a lot of them. This is a classic, great Bordeaux vintage.’

Source: Liv-ex.com

* Former St Emilion Grand Cru Class A, withdrew from classification in 2022

** Pomerol does not have a Classification system

For more commentary from Lisa Perrotti-Brown on the 2022 vintage check out The Wine Independent

The Wine Advocate’s top scored Bordeaux 2022 En Primeurs

This year William Kelley paired up with Yohan Costaing to review the 2022 En Primeurs for the Wine Advocate. They awarded three wines the near perfect 99 – 100 points and highlighted the aromatic range and freshness of the vintage’s wines.

In their review they make reference to the challenging conditions of the 2022 growing season ‘having created a mixed outcome on all levels’ with less well-known terroirs producing some great wines. Consequently 2022 is ‘not a year to buy blind’.

Source: Liv-ex.com

* Former St Emilion Grand Cru Class A, withdrew from classification in 2022

** Pomerol does not have a Classification system

See more detail on 2022 at Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Jeb Dunnuck’s top scored Bordeaux 2022 En Primeurs

Jeb Dunnuck states that ‘2022 is an incredible singular vintage for Bordeaux … and the peaks are certain to be legendary wines.’ He acknowledges in his critique of this year’s en primeurs that the extreme weather conditions have created a divergence in styles across the region. In his view ‘2022 is clearly a great vintage’ and he rates thirteen wines with the potential to achieve perfection.

Source: Liv-ex.com

* Former St Emilion Grand Cru Class A, withdrew from classification in 2022

** Pomerol does not have a Classification system

Find out more on Jeb Dunnuck's view on 2022

James Suckling’s top scored Bordeaux 2022 En Primeurs

“Astonishing, 2022 is a new benchmark for Bordeaux”. Veteran US wine critic, James Suckling claims that in his 40^th year of tasting Bordeaux “I have never come across anything like 2022.” He praises the skill of the wine makers who are now creating wine of a different style, adapting to much warmer and dryer conditions, but also observes the ‘resilient and adaptive nature’ of the vines.

Source: Liv-ex.com

* Former St Emilion Grand Cru Class A, withdrew from classification in 2022

** Pomerol does not have a Classification system

Get more information from James Suckling on 2022 here

Jancis Robinson’s top scored Bordeaux 2022 En Primeurs

Jancis Robinson MW is probably one of the longest-serving and most experienced fine wine critics in the world. She leads a growing team of next generation wine professionals who publish their tasting notes through Robinson’s website.

Partnering with James Lawther MW on appraising Bordeaux 2022, they commented that “Winemakers have learnt from previous hot vintages such as 2003 and 2018, what to do and what not to do, but so, it seems, have the vines themselves.”

Bordeaux’s viticultural landscape is changing with the adoption of organic and biodynamic practices now more widely applied. The use of Napa style cover crops are improving soil microbiology and vine health. This is all contributing to changes wine makers need to undertake in the face of our warming climate.

Robinson and Lawther observed that “In 2022 Merlot shone, not just in its traditional territory on the right bank of the Gironde estuary but on the left bank too. … The wines are certainly extremely impressive’ and ‘Bordeaux lovers, brace yourselves!’

Jancis Robinson has a different scoring system, rating wines out of 20 points. Only Chateau Mouton Rothschild achieved the highest 19 / 20 score this vintage.

Source: Liv-ex.com

* Former St Emilion Grand Cru Class A, withdrew from classification in 2022

** Pomerol does not have a Classification system

See more details from Jancis Robinson

Our view on the 2022 vintage quality

The critics are almost unanimously referring to 2022 as a 'great' or 'classic' Bordeaux vintage born out of the most challenging weather conditions. A testament to the skill and experience of the great practitioners of this most important fine wine region. This importance is built on centuries of wine making which has produced the best practice now adopted around the world.

Neal Martin observes that Bordeaux has the reliability factor and that one of the great virtues of Bordeaux is the greater availability for consumers due to the production levels. 2022’s challenging conditions has produced some great, even legendary, wines with average higher scores across the board compared to 2021. But it has also impacted yield. Production is down 15 per cent on the ten-year average and in individual vineyards these levels are much higher. For example Chateau Phelan Segur lost 30 per cent of its production due to hail.

Pricing will be key to the ultimate success of the campaign. With a higher quality vintage than 2021 and lower supply, early predictions had been for higher prices. To what extent, will determine the value for investors to acquire 2022 wines at this stage in their life cycle. For rare, high-demand wines it may be just be necessary, or if buyers are looking for a non-standard bottle size, to buy now no matter the price.

At the time of writing, we are still relatively early in the 2022 releases, but a few key chateaux have issued their En Primeur allocations on to the market. Chateaux Cheval Blanc and Angelus were two of the first and they have priced their 2022s up 32.1% and 21% higher than the 2021 release prices. Cheval Blanc could be justified in this move as it is tipped as a wine of the vintage and scored for perfection by Neal Martin, Antonio Galloni, James Suckling and Lisa Perrotti-Brown.

We will continue to monitor releases and comment further on pricing once we have more data. For further information and allocations please continue to follow us on social, our Newsletter and blogs. Our expert team can provide more guidance on investing in En Primeurs, simply call 0203 384 2262.