Despite some hot dry spells, most producers made delicious, fleshy reds and intense, vibrant whites. In Chablis, the Côte d’Or right down to Beaujolais, there is superb and consistent quality in all classifications. 

The hot summer of 2022 was similar to 2020, with challenging heat but the welcome rainfall in mid-June saved the day and ultimately the crop. Warm dry conditions with occasional showers continued through to harvest giving healthy yields (35-45hl/ha) and complete ripeness. White wine production is in line with 2020 with average alcohols between 12,5-13,5% abv and balanced acidities.

Harvesting in Chablis and Beaujolais began at the end of August under warm and sunny skies. Then followed the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits in the second and third weeks of September.

This is the largest vintage since 2017 for the reds with many making silky textured Pinots that combine power, concentration and freshness. This year will rank with the fine warm vintages, such as 2009, 2018 and 2020. Premiers Crus from the less well-known communes offer the best value, such as Auxey-Duresses, Ladoix and Savigny-lès-Beaune. There is a fashion towards high proportion whole cluster fermentation and a reduction in new oak (30-50% average). As usual, we will focus on quality alongside sensible pricing.