The 2022 Burgundy Vintage Is Going to Be Seriously Good
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After spring frost that threatened to wipe out a large percentage of the grape crop—as it had the previous year—and record-setting summer heat spikes and dryness delayed ripening, the freshness and vitality of 2022 Burgundy is remarkable if not actually miraculous. In September of that year, the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) released a statement that said, “With beautiful balance, perfect health, and wonderful color extraction, it would be unreasonable to ask for more. The potential is there to make 2022 a great vintage indeed.”
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Although most wines from 2022 are still awaiting release, we acquired some barrel samples (in 375 milliliter bottles) from Maison Louis Jadot, which has vineyard holdings in an incredible array of appellations throughout the region—so much so that one can get a snapshot of the entire vintage through a regional tasting of its wines. The Jadot family procured its first Burgundy plot, Clos des Ursules, in 1826 and since the house’s official founding in 1859, it has acquired vineyards throughout the Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Chablis, and as far south as Beaujolais. Today Héretiers Louis Jadot and Domaine Louis Jadot own 58 vineyards in village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru appellations and also have contracts with grape growers across the region in addition to other holdings under the Famille Gagey, Duc de Magenta, Domaine Ferret, and Domaine Prieur-Brunet labels.
Louis Jadot technical director Frédéric Barnier describes 2022 as “a very consistent vintage, solid everywhere from basic wines to the top, in Côte de Beaune as in Côte de Nuits.” Although in years past Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were harvested at different times—as were vineyards in the north and south of the region—Barnier’s team was picking grapes up and down the Côte d’Or and as far south as the Mâconnais over a three-week period between late August and mid-September. And while some years prove better for whites than reds or vice-versa, Barnier says the season favored both equally. “Maybe that’s why it’s such an interesting vintage—white and red have a moderate level of alcohol and a nice feeling of freshness,” he says, adding that the wines had a not-too-high level of acidity, very good balance, and “beautiful fresh flavors.”
Tasting through eight wines—four white and four red—from village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, three words come to mind: elegance, freshness, and restraint. The acidity is not technically high, but it is palpable on the palate across every glass. There is enough there to preserve the vibrant fruit flavors for years to come in both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Barrel samples can be tricky because the wine is not fully integrated and the oak can come on too strong, overpowering any sense of vigor in the wines. That was not the case at all here; although the wines are extremely young and not ready for release, they are at once powerful and delicate, demonstrating the finesse and character of the overall vintage. (Whites will be bottled in the spring, reds in the summer, and all will arrive on our shores by October of this year.) We think the BIVB was on to something with its bold vintage declaration.
Louis Jadot 2022 Tasting Notes
Below are our impressions of the barrel samples we’ve tried. We did not write full tasting notes because the wines are not the final product yet, so consider this an initial reaction to the wines and a hint of things to come.
WHITES
Louis Jadot 2022 Santenay Clos de Malte
Nose: Flint, lemon curd
Taste: Vibrant, good heft on the palate, lemon, apple, vanilla
Louis Jadot 2022 Beaune Grèves Premier Cru
Nose: Fresh, lemon, citrus, touch of earthiness, forest floor
Taste: Higher acidity on the finish, savory note carries onto palate, very fresh
Louis Jadot 2022 Meursault Charmes Premier Cru
Nose: Dried sage, lemon tart, chalk, sliced ginger
Taste: Lemon curd, vanilla, brilliant acidity
Louis Jadot 2022 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Nose: Fresh ginger, lemon curd, matchstick, crushed oyster shell
Taste: Round in the mouth, toasty notes, acidity comes through on the finish
REDS
Louis Jadot 2022 Beaune Boucherottes Premier Cru
Nose: Concentrated, dark cherry, milk chocolate, clove
Taste: Cherry, chocolate, and clove in background, brightness shines through
Louis Jadot 2022 Santenay Clos de Malte
Nose: Earthy and spicy, bright pomegranate, cranberry
Taste: Ripe summer cherry, bold tannins
Louis Jadot 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin
Nose: Pomegranate, raspberry, dried Mediterranean herbs
Taste: Well-integrated acidity, cherry, raspberry, milk chocolate, toast, gorgeous
Louis Jadot 2022 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Nose: Black cherry, raspberry, milk chocolate, fennel
Taste: Touch spicy, darker berries, incredible freshness
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