After tasting more than 900 Bordeaux 2022 en primeur samples, Georgie Hindle has given her full verdict on the new vintage.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for all 34 sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac.
Producer
Appellation
Vintage
Score
Notes
Château Doisy-Daëne, l'Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne
Barsac
2022
97
Gorgeous nose, really full and exotic, thrilling and vibrant. Vanilla, cream, ginger and salted caramel. Sweet and unctuous, sugary and full, really generous expression on the rich, dense, heady and opulent end of the spectrum but so well delivered and still with mouthwatering acidity that gives the life. It's on the overt side right now, but there’s something really compelling about this. A fabulous wine with so much going on.
Château de Fargues
Sauternes
2022
96
Clean and crisp, a lovely bite to this instantly which gives intensity and excitement. Keeps a cool sleek frame but has some tense sherbet type flavours of pineapple, lemon, grapefruit and orange. I love the vibrancy, it’s still relatively sleek, but confident and has real class. A step above most, this is excellent. Not the most unctuous and fleshy but what it has is so well delivered. I love it. 140g/l residual sugar.
Château Doisy-Védrines
Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
95
Thrilling and fun, bright and forward on the palate with lemon, lime, orange and pineapple - gorgeous tropical elements with a weighty, thick, unctuous texture. Lovely appeal here, really quite generous and tasty. It just has the acidity and the buzz you want - giving so much life- and then really matches the thickness and strong sweetness. I like this a lot. Fun, sweet and so drinkable but still with detail.
Château Suduiraut
Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)
2022
95
Gorgeous richness and juiciness, a compelling density and complexity, well constructed and poised. Refined but powerful, I love the intensity, really combines fruit fleshiness and unctuous acidity. Orange rind, but cool and fresh, not so much marmalade more honeyed oranges with lemon, lime, cinnamon, apricot, caramelised pineapple and touch of mango, but staying cool and bright with salty touches giving nuance. Well integrated, balanced - it has a lot of sugar at 194g but it really works! A yield of 7hl/ha. 3.45g total acidity. 4.0pH.
Domaine de L'Alliance
Sauternes
2022
95
Tangy and bright, a nice sense of zing to the clean and crisp lemon, orange and pineapple fruit. Lovely weight, lean with a touch of tightness and bitterness adding to the sense of strictness but also gives it real focus and length. I really like this, such easy enjoyment to be had here. Great typicity, but it’s the detail and precision that is so compelling. Length, precision, detail - one to look out for that will give supreme pleasure! 142g/l residual sugar. 3.7g total acidity. 4.4pH.
Château Bastor-Lamontagne
Sauternes
2022
94
Orange and fresh lemon zest on the nose. Energetic, cool, creamy, zesty, open and lifted! A lovely intensity straight away with precision, focus and real bite to the orange and lemon fruit with such a satisfying weight to the palate, not too rich, not too sharp but a really delicious crunchy yet sweet style that is creamy, light footed and unctuous. I really like this, not trying too hard, less upfront then the 2019 but there's such easy appeal here. More calm and relaxed than overt and upfront but I really like it. 165g residual sugar. 3.85pH. Rolland & Associés consultants.
Château de Rayne Vigneau
Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)
2022
94
Succulent and so appealing straight away, clean and precise, a lovely sleek frame with cool freshness. Not so sweet or massy and fleshly as some, this is more sherbet lemon, tangy, taught and tense with licks of minerality and salted caramel. Juicy, unctuous, bright, filling - just gorgeous. On the sleek side, it’s not fleshy, but it’s just so compelling, approachable and easy to drink. 150g/l residual sugar.
Château Doisy-Dubroca
Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
94
Unctuous and lively, a nice brightness and energy with focus and a taught expression that is well defined and detailed. Appealing weight with caramelised honeyed tones, lemon patisserie, mango, pineapple with lovely crisp, sweet, cool, bitter and fresh edges. Balanced and complex.
Château Guiraud
Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)
2022
94
Supple and juicy, bright and clean - this lacks a little unctuousness and flesh, but it's focussed while having a long length. Sherbet lemon and pineapple fruit, wild honey and peach blossom which are so lovely with flinty touches that give an appealing mineral tang on the finish. This has an air of class, supremely approachable and drinkable now. 134g/l residual sugar. 3.5g total acidity. 4.0pH.
Château Raymond-Lafon
Sauternes
2022
94
Creamy, rich, juicy and vibrant, this has excellent energy to it, clean and well worked with citrus fruit, spiced honey touches, bitter orange rind, pineapple and salted caramel. Not the most fleshy or sweet, but this is smooth and well worked with definition. Harmonious and so approachable with a hint of seduction too. Great to drink early and enjoy the youthful freshness and lightness. 130g/l residual sugar. 3.25g total acidity. 4.22pH.
Château Coutet
Barsac (1er Cru Classé)
2022
93
Bight and fun, a lovely easy, clean and sleek texture, quite straight with focus and a sense of cool freshness on the palate with some soft bitter edges that are so appealing. Has a great frame, slowly expands, not so overtly sweet or zingy, but this is refined and well delivered, still with concentration in the depth and overall long length. 158g/l residual sugar. 3.88pH.
Château Doisy-Daëne
Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
93
Lively and energetic, a lifted expression with bitter orange peel countering the pineapple and mango fruit. Lovely complexity and construction, an unctuous almost sherbet mid palate, which then becomes more mineral and focussed. Feels well worked with lots of life and definition as well as richness. Lots to like here. 150g/l residual sugar. 3.75g total acidity.
Château La Tour Blanche
Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)
2022
93
Creamy and round, a lovely texture and weight on the palate - sweet and sugary, unctuous, rich and forward but this has elegance too, keeping a tension and sense of direction. Acidity lifts the richness with lemon, vanilla, orange marmalade, honey and spiced peach. 145g/l residual sugar.
Château Rieussec
Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)
2022
93
Bright lemon, floral orange blossom and fleshy peach - juicy with caramelised edges and soft touches of salty minerality that gives a nice contrast. Unctuous and rich, lacking a touch more vibrancy and zing at this point, but smooth, focussed with great density and sweetness overall.
Château Sigalas Rabaud
Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)
2022
93
Juicy and vibrant a lovely thrill to this, bright and shining, direct and focussed with some bitter touches around the edges - gorgeous orange rind, pineapple, salted caramel, peach and apple. Well framed with direction. Poised, refined and fun. A touch more bitter than sweet at this point.
Clos Haut-Peyraguey
Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)
2022
93
Sweet and juicy, quite tight still, a little tense, lacking some fleshiness and oomph but really cool and direct with flinty stones and iced pineapple, mango and peach. Nice weight and a really appealing approachability to this. Well delivered, persistent and easy. Yield 9hl/ha.
Domaine de L'Alliance, Esquisse
Sauternes
2022
93
Clean and sharp, a lovely purity to this, well defined with balanced sweetness with the caramelised oranges, lemons, limes and some florally. Has bite and tang and retains a real sense of energy and buzz. Youthful and energetic. I like it, easy drinking and not too sweet for those that don’t want too much sugar. Really complete in an unfussy, but still interesting, way. 128g/l residual sugar. 3.7g total acidity. 4.4pH.
Château Broustet
Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
92
Sweet and unctuous, juicy and friendly - a lovely appealing shot of pineapple and mango sweetness gives the depth and density while the cool freshness and touches of stony mintiness keep it straight and not too much. So approachable, nicely weighted and controlled. Not massively complex but for easy drinking this is great and I love the bitter, spiced tang on the finish.
Château Cantegril
Sauternes
2022
92
Round and filling, a lovely sense of calm concentration to this, more fragrant peach and floral touches on the palate gives this a gentle and pretty appeal. Honeyed, perfumed caramel with orange, pineapple, mango and lemon. Feels well worked, so gentle and appealing, generous but in a calm way in that the acidity or sharpness isn’t so pronounced.
Château d'Arche
Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
92
Supple and lively, but also quite serious with the initial burst of lemon, pineapple and mango, contained by bitter toasty and mineral edges that then then loses some fruity fleshiness. It keeps a straight focus, with crisp, focussed edges and a coolness that is really appealing. 143g/l residual sugar. 2.95g total acidity. 4.2pH.
Château Nairac
Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
92
Orange, peach, apricot and fleshy lemon notes on the palate, a richness and spice to this, edgy and straight, defined and precise with bite to the fruit. It's more focussed in terms of angles - this has bite and crunch which nicely offsets the sweet and unctuous fruit. Thick, filling, a bit compact and spiced still with some toastiness - liquorice, mint and minerality. An appealingly interesting style. 155g residual sugar. Harvest 11-18 October. Rolland & Associés consultants.
Château Tuyttens
Sauternes
2022
92
Succulent with a bright shot of lemon and lime and orange bitterness. Lovely frame, sense of control and detail Not the most weighty but really gives fruit, acidity, sweetness and roundness but still with a cool edge that keeps it from being too heavy. A success.
Château Climens
Barsac (1er Cru Classé)
2022
91
Juicy and vibrant initially, a nice weight on the palate, with lemon, orange, pineapple. Has some creaminess but keeps quite a sleek frame. A little constructed and toasted on the finish. Missing some fruit density and sense of layering - it's a bit shy, not showing as much fleshiness or overt sweetness as some others at this point - 141g/l residual sugar.
Château Haut-Bergeron
Sauternes
2022
91
Light and zesty, a honeyed caramel, pear, lime and orange blossom and peel flavour with some toasted and mineral notes that give a different aspect but move the focus away from some of the fruit enjoyment at this stage. I like the weight though and there’s density and a sense of cool, refined freshness to this.
Château Lamothe-Guignard
Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
91
Juicy and vibrant, a lovely energy and salty lemon tang on the palate with balanced sweetness coming from the caramelised lemons, limes, honeysuckle and apricots. A little toasted though, some bitter notes cover some of the fruitiness at this point. Has potential with tension, focus and drive. 140g/l residual sugar. 3.7g total acidity.
Château Partarrieu
Sauternes
2022
91
Lovely and sweet, a nice richness to this with balanced sugar and appealing levels of acidity that means it’s not sharp or too vibrant but it’s really harmonious in giving a round, unctuous, full mouthful. Not a massive length, but for a lovely, easy, still rich sweet wine this is great.
Château Caillou
Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
90
A lighter take on the vintage, not as fleshy or exuberant as some others, but controlled with such ease of drinking. Citrus fruit and appealing bitter touches combine on the palate with a focussed and well-defined finish. 131g/l residual sugar. 3.05g total acidity.
Château Closiot
Sauternes
2022
90
Lively and straight, this is tangy with sharp edges that have a touch of ginger, toast and bitter grapefruit. Nice precision, a little tense with mineral and toasted elements as well as apricot creaminess that stand out. Lacking some vibrancy and a little compact. Needs some more time to harmonise.
Château Closiot, Les Dames de Bonneau
Sauternes
2022
90
Caramel and honeyed oranges and apricots on the palate, a really thick texture with soft acidity but nice roundness and balance overall. More of a quiet style but still with appealing coolness that is great. Just missing a touch of vibrancy at this point. 190/l residual sugar. 3.6g total acidity.
Château de Myrat
Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
90
Juicy and vibrant, a nice sense of direction and elegance to this, with definition and detail. Textured and appealingly weighted. It's missing a little more overt sweetness and a bit of density in terms of unctuousness, but keeps a cool freshness with some nice bitter orange and lemon rind elements. 150g/l residual sugar. 3g total acidity. 3.8pH.
Château Liot
Sauternes
2022
90
Creamy, honeyed and citrus flavours, lemon and grapefruit rind giving the spiced frame with flint and salt giving some mineral touches too. It has a nice weight and density with cool, apple, pear, mango and lemon fruit on the finish. Feels supremely clean and well worked if lacking a little more unctuousness. 115g/l residual sugar. 3.52g total acidity. 3.88pH.
Château de Rayne Vigneau, Madame de Rayne
Sauternes
2022
89
Lively with a nice initial energy and lift, green apple, peach and lemon with salty touches. Loses some density and vibrancy towards the mid palate, with a stoniness coming in on the finish, but there's focus and definition. Easy enjoyment to be had still with some sweetness and coolness.
Château La Clotte-Cazalis
Sauternes
2022
89
Fragranced and perfumed on the palate, the lemon, orange and apricot fruit has floral and vanilla edges with a lovely but short-lived tang of citrus acidity on the mid palate before a cool flintiness comes giving this a mineral element on the finish. Missing a touch more vibrancy.
Château Romer du Hayot
Sauternes (2ème Cru Classé)
2022
87
A lovely sharp sherbet thrill to the initial tang but the lighter frame in terms of unctuous, fleshy sweetness is constructed a little by the bitter, toasted, wood elements that come in and take over. 110g/l residual sugar. 3.4g total acidity.
