Some wine lovers want a peek backstage. So let's delve into some of the nittier, grittier details of the exceptional—in so many ways—2022 Bordeaux vintage and take a look at general trends and happenings on the ground.

1 .The 2022 Bordeaux vintage has been described as “extreme.” Just how extreme are we talking?

The 2022 vintage was the second hottest year on record, in line with 2003 and slightly cooler than 1947. So, quite extreme.

However, the perception of—or the messaging about—the heat varied. Most described three—some only two—waves of heat. Yet the team at Léoville-Poyferré said they did not experience heatwave conditions because the nights went down to 68° F, mercifully offering some morning dew.

Exceedingly dry conditions exacerbated the high temperatures. Conditions were so arid that in late July, the national agency overseeing vine production and wine quality allowed Pomerol to irrigate under strictly supervised conditions for about three and a half weeks. However, the irrigation was permitted so late in the season that some felt it wasn't worth bothering or simply didn't have the personnel, equipment or water to irrigate.

Many winemakers and châteaux owners across the vast swath of Bordeaux insisted that there was zero stress in the vineyards. Farming techniques, soil types, vine age or plant materials for either—or both—the rootstock and grape variety graft are just a few of the reasons that this could be true. But, just imagine standing dehydrated in a vineyard in peak afternoon heat and pelting sunshine. For days. Maybe months. Would you feel “zero” stress? 

Pontet-Canet's Technical Director, Mathieu Bessonnet, was refreshingly honest. He said that despite all of the innovative techniques and biodynamic processes his team implemented, véraison—the grapes' change of color from green to black—was blocked at times in parts of the vineyard. Heading into harvest, he looked at two options in certain parcels: pick grapes that weren’t all at optimal ripeness or wait and carefully sort out dried berries. 

2. The numbers show that these wines generally have lower acid and higher pH. How is it possible they’re also being described as "fresh"?

Everyone is surprised by the non-acid-driven freshness of the vintage. And no one can explain it. The laboratory analyses don't make sense—these wines should feel heavy or taste flabby—yet most wines have impressive, innate energy. "Always be ready to be surprised" was the 2022 En Primeur theme at Château La Conseillante, and it is apt.

3. So, will this unknown freshness factor allow the 2022s to age?

Will the best wines really age the 40 to 50 years many claim based on how they taste today? Rémy Fulchic, the R&D Director at Domaines Delon (Léoville-Las Cases, Clos du Marquis, Potensac, Nénin), flatly declared, "It's not a year to look at analyses!"

The truth is that only time will tell. The 2003s (from all over Europe) were dismissed immediately as jam pots that would wilt quickly. But the best 2003s remain stuck in time—still incredibly youthful—with years and years left to go. (Granted, lots of 2003s did keel over quickly.)

With regard to how 2022 Bordeaux tastes today, remember that En Primeur wines are far from being finished. En Primeur samples are the absolute best wines that a château is able to show at the time. There is much wine in the many, many barrels in a château’s cellar that aren't in that blend. So the final wine will differ from En Primeur samples—more in some cases than others.

4. What were the recurring winemaking details that winemakers talked about for the 2022 vintage?

The buzz words of 2022 were IPT, press wine, amphore and infusion:

• IPT:  Called TPI—Total Polyphenol Index—in English, IPT is a measure of the total quantity of tannin in a wine. Bordeaux broke all kinds of IPT records in 2022. A normal year’s wines might register between 65-80 on the IPT scale. The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré registered at 93, Le Crock at 94, Lynch-Bages at 95 and Phélan-Ségur at 96. Lynch-Bages’s IPT for its Petit Verdot was 130! Higher IPT doesn't, however, mean the wine is better or worse because the measurement doesn't reflect the tannin quality. Léoville-Poyferré's Cellar Master, Didier Thomann, who has spent four decades at the château said, "We really didn't know what to expect because we didn't have the usual balance. Even the texture of the juice was different. The pulp of the grapes was as smooth as milk." With such high polyphenol levels, an interesting question between now and bottling is:  how much tannin, if any, will some châteaux fine out?

• Press wine: Lots of châteaux were excited about the press wine, or vin de presse, something that typically isn't used in the top wines. At Pichon Longueville, 17% was included—the highest-ever percentage. Hélène Genin, Technical Director at Latour said that press wine is usually saved for a wine they make for estate employees. Still, the 2022 press wine had so much freshness that she couldn't imagine not using it in the leading wines, too. The attractiveness of the press wine at many châteaux was a doubly lucky attribute given that the harvest was light in quantity in the best appellations (save Saint-Émilion).

• Amphore: Amphore—anfora in Italian or amphora in English (all used interchangeably)—aren't just for experimenting any more in Bordeaux. These clay vessels are becoming fixtures in Bordelais cellars for their ability to soften a wine's tannins and round out its palate. Red wines made with amphore tend to show more fruit generosity, too. Pichon Baron has installed 24 amphore for all of their Petit Verdot, a variety known for its ample and gripping tannins. Pontet-Canet ages 35% of its grand vin in concrete amphore (along with 50% in new barriques and 15% in once-used barriques).  

• Infusion:  Infusion is the idea of performing the lightest possible extractions on red wines. This is important in a year where the Cabernet Sauvignon berries were particularly tiny. With little juice in the berries, a wine can end up aggressively tannic. Skin tannins are plenty firm, and seed tannins are often bitter. Vincent Millet, Technical Director at Calon-Ségur said, "The alcohol did the extraction itself. There was no need to agitate the wine."

5. There were wildfires in Bordeaux in 2022, right? Is there smoke taint in the wines?

July wildfires raged for 11 days beside Europe's largest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat, which sits on the Atlantic Ocean and southwest of Bordeaux. Luckily, winds swept most wildfire smoke toward the Atlantic, sparing the vines. So, smoke taint is not a concern.

6. What recent changes have happened on the ground in Bordeaux that I should know about?

To begin with, futuristic wineries are opening all over. Le Dôme popped up in the center of the Saint-Émilion hillside with a fantastic 360° view while Château Figeac's precious, museum-like winery now graces the northwestern edge of the appellation. Meanwhile, Lynch-Bages' new, wall-of-glass winery stares over the hamlet the Cazes family reconstructed on the western edge of Pauillac. And Haut-Bailly's future-proof, climate-defying winery feels like a bunker defending the Pessac-Léognan estate.

Then, there’s the city. Bordeaux has always been cosmopolitan in appearance yet provincial in feel. Until now. Wine and cocktail bars abound. You can even sit down to eat in a restaurant at 10 pm. The city center feels more vital than ever.