Decanter contributors, staff and DWWA Regional Chairs nominated their top three stand-out bottles of 2022, which were then tasted blind and scored by an expert panel to determine the best and most exciting wines of 2022.
The strength and depth of Italy and an incredible flight of Chardonnay were the highlights among the 46 white wines nominated in Decanter’s Wines of the Year 2022.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for all 17 white wines that scored 95 points or above.
| Producer | Appellation | Score | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tolpuddle Vineyard, Chardonnay | Coal River Valley | 2021 | 99 | Owned since 2011 by Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw of Shaw & Smith Wines in the Adelaide Hills, the 20ha northeast facing Tolpuddle vineyard occupies a prime position in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley. The pair saw the vineyard’s potential immediately, and have been producing exceptional single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ever since. There was a particularly wet start to 2021 – one of the coolest on record – resulting in much smaller but more concentrated grapes. Harvested by hand, the grapes are whole-bunch pressed then aged in French oak for nine months. Vincenzo Arnese: The nose is fresh and ripe with incredible structure, showing quince, candied lemon peel, grapefruit juice and subtle oak. A lingering acidity completes the frame of this outstanding wine. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: A wonder of lightness and precision; a hedonistic mix of immediate restrained pleasure and long-term intellectual provocation. An amazingly subtle and complex finish. I adore this wine. Amanda Barnes: Aromas of gunflint, lavender, lemon peel and wet stones lead into a mouthfilling yet svelte wine with mouthwatering acidity and a long, savoury finish. Will cellar well for more than a decade. Nominated by Sarah Ahmed Click to see full details | |
| Bodegas Muriel, Viña Muriel Reserva Blanco | Rioja | 2013 | 96 | From the founding estate of renowned Spanish wine group Muriel Wines, this single-variety white Rioja is made with specially selected Viura grapes from vines more than 40 years old, planted on chalky clay soils on the El Gallo estate in Rioja Alavesa. It undergoes fermentation for 20 days in French oak barrels, followed by eight months’ ageing in the same vessels. It is then aged for a minimum of 18 months before release. Vincenzo Arnese: This wine has incredible complexity. The nose is ripe with precise oak characters, and the palate shows richness and creaminess, ending with a lingering finish. Excellent. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Classic Rioja style, with evidence of oak ageing and refined citrus aromas. Very well balanced in the mouth, with the right acidity and nice extract. Very well made. Amanda Barnes: A wine that is yet to reach its prime. Hints of gunflint on the nose and a lively acidity that endures in the aftertaste, with a rolling smoky finish. This is a wine to hold on to. Nominated by Sonja van Praag Click to see full details | |
| De la Riva, Vino de Pasto Macharnudo | 2013 | 96 | 100% Palomino. A new, more approachable version of Jerez Palomino. Deliciously tempting nose of salt and sourdough that lures you into a full-bodied and mouthfilling wine that is bone dry and lean in the finish, with minerality and a touch of salinity in the mouth. Great new-generation Sherry, so indicative of origin. Nominated by Sarah Jane Evans MW Click to see full details | ||
| Giaconda, Estate Vineyard Chardonnay | Beechworth | 2019 | 98 | Elegant and intense, ripe and concentrated. Hints of gunflint and smoke lead the way in this savoury Chardonnay. Amazing blend of French oak ageing, batonnage and top-quality cool-climate fruit, resulting in an appealing aromatic expression. Dense but smooth on the palate, immediately appealing, and a very long and complex finish. Nominated by Richard Mayson Click to see full details | |
| Vietti, Derthona Timorasso | Colli Tortonesi | 2017 | 97 | Reserved on the nose, with more citrus aromas and little lees. Delicious persistence in the mouth, it is really classy, with elegant acidity and open fruit expression. It is textured and oily, and has the Piedmont purity - an austere mountain wine. Nominated by Susan Hulme MW Click to see full details | |
| Bernhard Huber, Schlossberg Chardonnay Grosses Gewächs | 2020 | 97 | A flinty, skinny-jeans style of Chardonnay with a rock ’n’ roll attitude – great presence, length and tension. Very lively. There’s freshness and savoury fruit, oak is present but integrated and gives body and complexity. Has an appealing fruity finish. Nominated by Caro Maurer MW Click to see full details | ||
| Bisci, Vigneto Fogliano | Verdicchio (di Matelica) | 2020 | 96 | Steely and saline, with intense citrus and a note of crushed almond. This Verdicchio is all about precision and focus, with a mouthwatering mouthfeel that lingers with flavours of wild flowers and citrus fruit. Nominated by Michael Garner Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Berthet-Bondet, Château-Chalon | 2019 | 96 | 100% Savagnin. The wine screams Jura, with a nice intensity on the nose and pronounced toastiness, as well as distinctively nutty notes with sourdough and salt. Powerful and lingering, it shows greater complexity from ageing, and unfurls on the palate for moments after sipping. Nominated by Thierry Meyer Click to see full details | ||
| Marco Felluga, Amani Friulano | Collio | 2014 | 96 | Leesy and rubbery, this has intense marzipan and earthy notes like dry white mushrooms. Fresh and creamy in the mouth, it's distinctively gentle, with a long, very pure and fruity finish. Elegant and delicious. Nominated by Alessandra Piubello Click to see full details | |
| Remírez de Ganuza, Olagar Gran Reserva Blanco | Rioja (Alavesa) | 2014 | 98 | 100% Viura. There's richness, ripeness and complexity in this stunning, long-lived Viura. Impressive aromatic expression, with lots of vanilla and toasty notes over citrus and pear fruit. A long finish with layers of flavour. Powerful and gentle, a wine to play in the top leagues. Nominated by Laura Bianco Click to see full details | |
| Shaw & Smith, M3 Chardonnay | Adelaide Hills | 2021 | 97 | Restrained, elegant and complex, with no hint of tropical fruit but relevant citrus and white fruit notes in this cool-climate Chardonnay. Oak integration is stunning and the wine shows personality, vibrancy, mouthwatering acidity and a precise, long finish. Nominated by Justin Knock MW Click to see full details | |
| Caravaglio, Chianu Cruci Bianco | 2021 | 97 | A distinctive wine (80% Malvasia with other local varieties) has very pure Malmsey notes – slightly musky but with a nice herbal freshness. The palate has pronounced acidity and good vibrancy; saline seaside notes with a tangy minerality and a lingering, mouthwatering finish. A wine to lap up with oysters and shellfish by the sea. Nominated by Peter Liem Click to see full details | ||
| Escala Humana, Credo Semillon | Uco Valley (Tupungato) | 2018 | 96 | Very classic, Bordeaux-style, with relevant oak aromas and discreet citrus fruit notes. It’s a savoury Semillon with gunflint and wet chalk notes with a very long, concentrated and mouthwatering finish. Appealing in its age but certainly capable of cellaring well for another decade at least. Nominated by Alejandro Iglesias Click to see full details | |
| Manzone, Rossese Bianco | Langhe | 2018 | 96 | Unique approach, with notes of quince, pear juice and a little yeast. Everything is in its place in this inviting wine: restrained, clean aromas, nice fresh impression, with enough extract to excite the senses. Stoney minerality with a richness from lees, resulting in a subtle yet full wine. Nominated by James Button Click to see full details | |
| Mount Pleasant, Cellar Aged Elizabeth Semillon | Hunter Valley | 2014 | 96 | A distinctive style of aged Hunter Valley Semillon has enticing pear and apple aromas opening up for gentle expression on the palate, with petrol, briney salinity and a tangy minerality. It has an enticingly long finish. A classic. Nominated by Sonja van Praag Click to see full details | |
| Rascallion Wines, The Devonian Chenin Blanc | 2021 | 96 | Pure Chenin Blanc nose, with quince and green apple followed by rubber and a lees note. Waxy yet bright, this is a wonderfully complete Chenin with great acidity, length and richness. Nominated by Malu Lambert Click to see full details | ||
| Vignerons de Plaimont, Les Cépages Préservés | Saint-Mont | 2019 | 96 | A jewel of a wine (Gros Manseng with Petit Courbu and Arrufiac), so particular and distinctive, showing no ambition other than singing its origin. Aromas of apple and notes of vibrant peach, mirabelle plum, dried herbs and a suave enhancement of lees. Elegant and quite delicious with a finesse and fine spine of acidity. Nominated by Ines Salpico Click to see full details |