Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Very interesting one with a lot of valuable information about changes at several chateaux.

I can't deny that I don't always agree with her ratings which I think in several cases are too conservative.

We are so many "Parker's" alike wine critics now, so maybe it is a good idea to collect all the scores from all critics and take an average.

I am organizing my scores, but it will take several weeks to finish writing my report and ratings. I don't have a secretary, and I'm not paid for my work.

For the score scourers and points pursuers, I guess this website should score some points.
https://bordoverview.com/?year=2022&bank=both

Fine+Rare have a comparison as well this year, https://www.frw.co.uk/campaign/en-prime ... comparison, as do Liv-ex https://www.liv-ex.com/news-insights/bo ... ic-scores/.

The acclaim for Cheval Blanc is pretty unanimous, definitely a contender for wine of the vintage. Just behind are LLC, Mouton, Carmes HB, & Montrose.

This is not a vintage to buy based on scores. From everything written, and anecdotal conversations with friends in the business, it is a year of extremes, and if I were buying in quantity, I would really want to taste the wines. I am a little skeptical that the wines can be that fresh, based on winemaking experience.

Good thing though. Given the initial indications of price, it seems unlikely that when the do come to market they will be that much more expensive, especially when you figure you will be saving 10% in opportunity cost.

I do want to pick up Montrose & LLC, but won't be buying en-primeur this year...will wait to taste it after bottling.

Can't understand the "great freshness" either tbh, unless the article on wine-searcher is pointing to the obvious answer https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2023/05 ... -acid-test

Either way, of all years I'm expecting that we might see some large score divergences from en-primeur samples to the final bottlings. Higher alcohol wines typically extract a higher proportion of dry raw wood tannins; wines that are not for the long haul. So estates need to be careful with their use of new oak. A lot can still go wrong, so will wait to taste from bottle.

Conor,

I don't know what to make of Oliver Styles' article in Wine-Searcher about 2022 vintage.

For me, it's an accusation towards Bordeaux winemakers for using some winemaking tweaks like adding tartaric to the wine to correct pH levels. It's strictly defined by rules on how much you can add to it.

As far as I am informed, he is an Australian winemaker, and his country has almost no rules concerning watering the vineyard and adding sugar to the must. Probably unlimited addition of tartaric acid as well. Bordeaux touched by God - can I trace some jealousy? Has he tasted 2022 en primeur?

After 500+ tasted wines, there is a freshness in 2022 wines, not abundant imho, but far more existent than in more or less similar hot vintage 2003.

Yes, it will be interesting to taste the wines after bottling, and I believe their stay in oak will be much shorter than for 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2019.

Izak
I’ve not tried any 2022s - will go to the UGC tasting of 2020s here in balmy Singapore on Wednesday.

My point about Australian wines is that the addition of tartaric acid is common here particularly in mass produced wines. Given the generally warm conditions, some TA is rational though it can lead to a rather odd sweet/bitter character that throws the wine out of balance. The industry however has tried to better manage vineyards and winemaking processes to reduce the need for it.

Chaptalisation isn’t common in Australia as it generally isn’t necessary as grapes typically achieve sufficient beaume without it. If anything too many wines have excess sweetness and high pH as it is. The process is rather frowned upon in any case.

The obsession with hi alcohol, hi extract, sweet and cloyingly heavy and tarry Australian reds had abated for the most part though the hotter regions are having to change processes to avoid it. The trend I most resent about RPJnr.

I am wondering how Bordeaux can make fresh, balanced wines in an extreme vintage. I like 2019 as it isn’t extreme - the wines are more classically Bordeaux with freshness, savoury characters and good balance.

My dislike of 2003 is that the wines are often coarse, with rather tarry fruit and dry tannins. I accept that some others here seem to like them, but I never did. An example is that Wendy drank 2003 Ch Margaux at a company event last week. I asked her what she thought of it, and this SGD2000++ wine was described as “okay” but she found it to be rather heavy and alcoholic. Great…

Cheers
Mark

greatbxfreak wrote: ↑Sun May 14, 2023 4:19 pm Conor,

I don't know what to make of Oliver Styles' article in Wine-Searcher about 2022 vintage.

For me, it's an accusation towards Bordeaux winemakers for using some winemaking tweaks like adding tartaric to the wine to correct pH levels. It's strictly defined by rules on how much you can add to it.

As far as I am informed, he is an Australian winemaker, and his country has almost no rules concerning watering the vineyard and adding sugar to the must. Probably unlimited addition of tartaric acid as well. Bordeaux touched by God - can I trace some jealousy? Has he tasted 2022 en primeur?

After 500+ tasted wines, there is a freshness in 2022 wines, not abundant imho, but far more existent than in more or less similar hot vintage 2003.

Yes, it will be interesting to taste the wines after bottling, and I believe their stay in oak will be much shorter than for 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2019.

Oliver Styles is a New Zealand winemaker and acidification is regulated (4g per l.) Perhaps Oliver dares to provide an independent opinion and I for one appreciate his counter to all the hyperbole.

Refer Oenological Practices Authorised Under the Laws and Regulations of New Zealand as Referred to in Subparagraph 18(b) of Section A of Annex 7A (Wine and Distilled Spirits)

https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade-a ... pirits.pdf

geerath,

Thanks for the info.

To counter the hyperbole, you have to taste 2022 Bordeaux.

Yes I think that was one of the points he was raising, about the discrepancies of initial high PH and the current perception of acidity moving towards a different trajectory once bottled (sans acidificiation), and how if acidification was used then the high scores and “the miracle vintage” perhaps is unwarranted hyperbole.

I’m roughly paraphrasing his opinion in the article, not providing commentary on whether the opinion (or yours for that matter) is right or wrong.

Taste is the arbiter at the end of day, but in the context of en-primeur can be a reason for pause

Styles does go on a bit. But he’s asking a legitimate question: were the wines acidified? My guess is that it’s exceedingly difficult or impossible to tell if a wine has had tartaric acid additions by tasting barrel samplings.

More importantly, if the wines’ pHs were adjusted by adding acid, how would that affect their ability to age? Does it make any difference if the acid came out of the grape or a bag of tartaric acid? How much is enough? Too much? Is past experience an adequate guide, or have too many other variables changed? If critics knew a wine was acidified, how many would be able to use that information to provide a more accurate assessment of a barrel sample?