After tasting more than 1,200 wines for his Rhône 2022 en primeur report, Matt Walls has given his full verdict on the new vintage.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the 66 northern Rhône wines that scored 94 points and above.
Wines are listed by score then by style.
| Producer | Appellation | Colour | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Chapoutier, Le Méal | Hermitage | White | 99 | Decidedly rich in style, the oak is quite marked, with roasted pineapple notes, lemon verbena and lemon thyme. Very full-bodied, this is massive, assertive and powerful, but with great freshness and energy. Flinty, smoky elements and a long, salty, mineral finish. One for the ages. Pure Marsanne, vines are over 50 years old, planted on pebbles, clay and some loess, facing south. Whole-bunch pressed, half fermented in demi-muids, half in vats. Drinking window: 2025-2050 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, L'Ermite | Hermitage | White | 98 | Surprisingly full-bodied for L'Ermite, richer in body than a classic vintage. This is precise and fine, with notes of lemon verbena and struck flint. Reductive now, so give it time, but there's great drive and focus. Unusually high acidity (3.2-3.3 pH) which is rare for Marsanne. From east-facing vineyards situated around the chapel, which are the only white vineyards on the granitic part of Hermitage, other than Dard & Ribo's plots. Drinking window: 2025-2055 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | Hermitage | Red | 98 | A tasting of the different lieux-dits showed how the different soil types reacted to the drought. Granite-based parcels (Ermite, Les Bessards) suffered blockages in ripening and finished at 13% alcohol; the clay-based terroirs (Le Méal, Les Beaumes) didn't stop ripening and finished at 15%. The overall blend will be powerful but fragrant, complex and stylistically sits within other recent dry and hot vintages, and isn't outside the current norm (it's nothing like the similarly extreme 2003). Picking started at the end of August. Drinking window: 2030-2047 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, L'Ermite | Hermitage | Red | 98 | Smoke, flint and petrichor notes – very L’Ermite. Remarkably round and full for L'Ermite considering the fairly low alcohol. Intense, zingy acidity and great mineral drive. A crunchy, mineral and long finish, with enjoyably angular tannins. Huge energy and verve, undulating like a soundwave. Almost a caricature of L'Ermite, and will last for decades. Drinking window: 2037-2060 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, De l'Orée | Hermitage | White | 97 | This has the characteristic breadth and fat of De l'Orée, with a surprisingly bright and piercing acidic line. Rich, ripe mango, with a touch of pineapple, the alcohol and oak are both surprisingly well balanced for a vintage like 2022. Not the most mineral or fine perhaps, but very good. From 60-year-old vines in the lieu-dit Les Murets at the top of the hill on heavy, water-retaining soils. Drinking window: 2024-2041 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet, Côte Brune | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 97 | Beautiful aromas of pure rose, a touch of raspberry and thyme, this is not all black fruits. Lovely flavours, really compelling this year. Tannins are silkier than a classic Côte-Rôtie, but still quite austere, with great energy and length. Will be lovely, with great aromatic complexity and structure, but not as rich in body and smooth in texture as, say, 2020. Nonetheless excellent, but you'll need patience. Whole-bunch fermented, matured in old demi-muids. Drinking window: 2033-2044 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, Ex Voto | Hermitage | Red | 97 | Exuberant, the fruit really jumps out of the glass before the oak. Star anise, incense, very full-bodied but fresh and powerfully fruited. It's swallowed its oak particularly well so far, though it's only at the start of its long barrel maturation. Good tension, concentration and intensity, this appears to be a particularly fine vintage of Ex Voto. Drinking window: 2032-2046 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Turque | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 97 | A particularly dark, black-fruited La Turque this year, showing liquorice and smoke. Full-bodied, ripe but fresh, the oak is well integrated. Plenty of blackberry skin tannins and some oak tannin as well, it's solid and really quite dense and spicy on the palate. Powerful but fresh, for long ageing, this comes from vines on the Côte Brune, planted by Marcel Guigal in 1980 after having been abandoned since 1935 – La Turque is a central part of Côte Brune, comprising less than 1ha. This will be aged for 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking window: 2034-2036 Click to see full details | |
| Franck Balthazar, Chaillot | Cornas | Red | 97 | Aromatically quite reductive when tasted, but on the palate this is very promising, with surprisingly rounded and succulent tannins for a 2022. Long, direct, fresh and focused, this is the most powerful of Franck Balthazar's Cornas this year. From a parcel of vines over 100 years old in lieu-dit Chaillots that previously belonged to Noël Verset. Drinking window: 2027-2035 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Le Méal | Hermitage | Red | 97 | High-toned, remarkably smooth, full-bodied and concentrated with marked acidity. Tannins are blocky and robust, but certainly ripe. Actually very elegant in fruit, with remarkable depth, power and freshness and a long finish, which is impressive considering the vintage conditions. Vines are around 50 years old, fermented in concrete, aged in recently used oak barrels for around 14 months. Drinking window: 2034-2047 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, La Belle Hélène | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 97 | This is a tannic wine but has great finesse. Highly elegant and fine indeed, with perfect ripeness. Dark and concentrated, and very much a Côte Brune wine due to its muscular, bold tannins – amazing tannic weight in fact. The acidity is on the low side, but this is a forceful Côte-Rôtie that should have enormous longevity and will always be about power. Comes from Stéphane Ogier's oldest vines in the lieu-dit Côte Rozier, nearly 80 years old, all whole-bunch fermented. Drinking window: 2035-2052 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, La Viallière | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 97 | Subtle violets on the nose lead to a palate that’s smooth, but not overly full or concentrated. Beautifully fine structure despite the sheer weight of tannin. Just-ripe blackberries, this is precise and elegant. Certainly ripe, but not excessively so, with relatively low alcohol. Drinking window: 2030-2040 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Lancement | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 97 | Sloe, incense and lavender aromas translate to a powerful, plump and juicy palate with fine tannins, good weight and great concentration. Long and highly impressive. Drinking window: 2032-2048 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | Hermitage | White | 96 | The plots of Péléat and Rocoules were a little richer than a typical year, with relatively low acidity, while Ermite had a honeysuckle florality and a little more flesh than usual. Rich, dense and mighty, it is the opposite in style to the fine, fresh 2021. Picking started on 23 August in 2022. A tasting of the different plots was instructive, but the wines had been moved the day before, so the score is a guide only. Drinking window: 2026-2050 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Coteau de Chéry | Condrieu | White | 96 | Powerful and expressive on the nose, explosive straight out the gate. Full-bodied, rich, unctuous and slow moving, but there’s well-balanced acidity. This has huge power for a Condrieu, an absolutely massive wine, with immense glycerol and a saline finish. The alcohol is high for sure, but this is a hugely flamboyant, extraordinary wine from a parcel within lieu-dit Coteau de Chéry at the end of the valley that enjoys more shadow than others. Drinking window: 2025-2031 Click to see full details | |
| Pierre Jean Villa, Jardin Suspendu | Condrieu | White | 96 | A strong burst of violets and peach comes out of the glass, then on the palate it's explosively flavoursome, a concentrated but fresh and intense Condrieu with intensity, huge length and massive amounts of pleasure. Great salinity, concentration and freshness suggests a long life. Fermented and matured in large, old oak barrels for 12 months Drinking window: 2023-2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Clape | Cornas | Red | 96 | A tasting of various barrel samples suggests that the 2022 vintage here will be very good, if not necessarily the most powerful year. The fruit is quite dark in character and there's a good sense of purity if not the same freshness as 2021 or 2020, or the grandeur of 2019. Nonetheless, an excellent wine and a fairly typical expression of Clape Cornas. Tannins are ripe and elegant. Drinking window: 2030-2034 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | A tasting through the different terroirs in this wine revealed a fresh, intense, highly structured year; not as generous as 2019 or 2020, certainly more austere, and will take longer to come round. Many of the samples had an appealing floral expression, occasionally with herbal nuances from the use of whole bunches, and often really quite dark, dense black fruit on the palate. Tannins, while not green, are decidedly tight and will take time to finesse. A vintage where patience is required and which I suspect will shut down shortly after bottling. Drinking window: 2032-2045 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel, Le Gréal | Hermitage | Red | 96 | Darkly coloured. Wonderful nose – very Hermitage in its meaty, smoky, roasted notes. Surprisingly fresh and lively for such a hot and dry vintage. Powerful, with quite marked acidity and robust, slightly fibrous tannins that will take time to soften. The finish is long with great vitality, this is a very genuine, authentic Hermitage and doesn't even feel like it comes from a hot vintage. There is a slight green note to the tannins, which arguably aren't as elegant as in some years, but it's a wine that speaks strongly of terroir. From lieux-dits Le Méal and Les Greffieux. 7% Marsanne and Roussanne coplanted with the Syrah in Le Méal. Drinking window: 2040-2062 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, La Côte Brune | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | A richer, darker, fruitier style than a typical vintage of La Côte Brune. Rounded and generous, more about black fruits than flowers this year. Concentrated and opulent, with lovely ripe, soft tannins, and lots of them. Good length. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak, limited new oak, natural yeasts and as many stems as possible. Drinking window: 2029-2041 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Mouline | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | Finely spiced, very true to form in its tobacco leaf aromas. Particularly saline this year and detailed, not quite as lush as some 2022s, which is no bad thing. Exuberant and very much a classic expression, tannins are a touch dry and it's currently full of oak smoke on the finish. Not overly alcoholic, though the fruit is extremely ripe. From lieu-dit Côte Blonde. At the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking window: 2029-2042 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Landonne | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | Extremely spicy, iron filings, graphite and blue steak. Concentrated, huge, dense and brooding. This has a massive tannic structure and it’s dry and savoury, but the alcohol is in check. Extremely introverted, this will take a very long time to come round. Tannins are a bit lacking in elegance this year, but these might be combed out during élevage. Whole-bunch fermented, from lieu-dit La Landonne. At the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking window: 2038-2055 Click to see full details | |
| Franck Balthazar, Hommage | Cornas | Red | 96 | Spicy and flinty, a lovely smoky nature. Concentrated and intense, with amazing vibrancy and crunchy tannins. Good acidity, powerful and great impact, if not the longest finish. Touch of greenness on the finish, but this has great character and vivacity. Drinking window: 2024-2034 Click to see full details | |
| Franck Balthazar, Sans Soufre Ajouté | Cornas | Red | 96 | This has a gorgeous nose of soy, anchovy, eucalyptus and menthol. Silky, light in body, so incredibly fresh. Gorgeous acidity and so bright. Fine tannins, gently muscular, I would drink this relatively young. Spends two years on the lees, matured and bottled with no added sulphites. Drinking window: 2025-2032 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon | Hermitage | Red | 96 | Plum and damson compote, star anise and soy on the nose. This is fresh and lithe, with marked acidity and a great explosion of flavour; bright as a meteor. Not as long as some vintages on the finish, but certainly makes an impression. The pH is at 3.6 naturally through concentration, and nearly 14% alcohol. Remarkably athletic in acid and tannin for a 2022. From lieu-dit Les Bessards. Drinking window: 2030-2050 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Bertholon | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | A full, big, smooth, velvety monster. Extremely tannic but more supple than some of Stéphane Ogier's 2022s, with juicier tannins. Big but elegant with very ripe fruit, from a vineyard planted in 1966. Drinking window: 2033-2046 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Côte Bodin | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | Very attractive aromas of star anise, incense and cedar, all typical for this cuvée. Big, bold, rolling, quite burly on the palate, with muscular tannins, good length and freshness. Not overly full-bodied or concentrated, however this has good balance. The only wine grown on schist that Stéphane destems. Drinking window: 2030-2040 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Fongeant | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 96 | Ripe, classic, harmonious, blackberry-scented nose, with a touch of sloe. Soft, full, mouthfilling and juicy with supple tannins. Very concentrated and balanced, no harshness here. Excellent. Drinking window: 2032-2044 Click to see full details | |
| Château le Devay | Condrieu | White | 95 | Beautifully aromatic, with jasmine and blanched almonds; a lighter and more fragrant style than many 2022s. Full-bodied, quite luxurious and unctuous but not overly heavy, showing strong apricot and nectarine fruit on the finish, which is long and powerful, with just slightly raised alcohol – great length of fruit, however. Ageability is hard to judge, this could surprise with a very long life. Fermented in Stockinger demi-muids, after which it goes through malolactic fermentation and 10 months of ageing before bottling. Just 3,813 bottles made. Drinking window: 2023-2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JP Jamet, Vernillon | Condrieu | White | 95 | Already really expressive and bright. Good acidity here, all enjoyably ripe, with fresh peach flavour. Actually quite light in style, not too oily, a very fresh feel on the palate. A blend of lieux-dits Côte Chatillon and Coteau de Vernon, all aged in amphora. Drinking window: 2023-2026 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Laurent Fayolle, Les Diognières | Hermitage | White | 95 | Beautifully expressive already, full-bodied, rich and opulent, with a touch of mille-feuille pastry and poached pear on the finish. Well balanced and long, the alcohol is present but in check, as is the oak. I would drink this young as it has a wonderfully drinkable side to it that others lack in 2022. From a 0.18ha plot of 70-year-old Marsanne at the foot of the Hermitage slope. Malolactic completed. Drinking window: 2025-2033 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel, Les Rocoules | Hermitage | White | 95 | Very old school, almost Baroque nose, with dried mango and dried pear. Full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, the acidity is well balanced, the finish very long. A touch of hay and barley sugar, there are already some quite mature confit aromas. The alcohol feels slightly raised, but this is nonetheless an impressive Hermitage, one that favours grandeur over finesse. Malolactic completed, no fining and no filtration, then 18 months in oak. Drinking window: 2030-2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Martin Clerc, La Roncharde | Condrieu | White | 95 | Powerful, expressive mango and peach aromas, open and strong. Full-bodied, but with a soft, juicy side that gives the wine some charm. The oak influence is prominent, so give this a year or so to settle before drinking. A long, concentrated style, with balanced acidity and a mineral edge on the finish providing structure and cut. Fermented in barrel with natural yeasts, 12 months maturation in barrel with lees stirring and malolactic completed. Drinking window: 2025-2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Niero, Coeur de Roncharde | Condrieu | White | 95 | Lightly floral style, with sweet, ripe peach on the nose which flows through to the palate. Great concentration and length, it's a flamboyant, oak-influenced expression, one with real intensity and concentration. Lovely sense of purity, this is a new cuvée for Niero since the 2018 vintage. From the granitic lieu-dit Roncharde, just above the Côte Chatillon. Drinking window: 2023-2027 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay | Condrieu | White | 95 | Lovely jasmine aroma, more floral than many 2022s. Full-bodied, but not heavy or oily, the acidity is fairly low but it has good shape, energy and a long finish. Assertive, straight and focused. All fruit from the Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf lieu-dit of La Combe. Aged in demi-muids and small foudres. Drinking window: 2024-2034 Click to see full details | |
| Tardieu-Laurent | Condrieu | White | 95 | Slightly reductive nose currently, but it’s pure, fruity and juicy on the palate, with vibrant acidity and a long finish. A powerful and concentrated, joyful style of Condrieu with rich peach, apricot flesh, cinnamon and citrus. Fermented and aged for 10 months in new and one-year-old barrels. Drinking window: 2023-2030 Click to see full details | |
| Tardieu-Laurent | Hermitage | White | 95 | Ripe, open and expressive, with honeyed mango and honeysuckle. Very full-bodied and creamy in texture, smooth like puréed mango. A rich, opulent style, with balanced acidity and well-integrated oak, making for an impressive, grand wine. From lieux-dits Les Pierrelles, Les Beaumes, Les Murets and La Croix. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrels (new and one-year-old), where the wine spends one year, followed by a further year in Stockinger foudres. Drinking window: 2025-2040 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Bonnefond, Dans les Vignes de Mon Père | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Star anise, incense and forest berry fruits, this has detail and vibrancy on the nose. Medium-bodied, with precision and elegance. It's ripe, but not overripe, with well-balanced acidity and some crispness and clarity of texture, it's not over extracted or over oaked. Grown on schist with iron oxide, whole-bunch fermented, matured in 400-litre barrels for 20 months which have been used once previously for white wine. 1,200 bottles made. Drinking window: 2025-2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel | Hermitage | Red | 95 | The whole-bunch element is quite marked on the nose currently, and there's good fresh fruit too. Powerful on the palate, this has good intensity and drive, and the whole bunches are quite marked texturally as well. Good length and freshness, with fleshy fruit and a robust, tannic frame. A little more rustic than some Hermitage, but with age this will be very good. Grown on lieux-dits Les Bessards and Les Plantiers. Drinking window: 2035-2048 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, La Côte Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Gently fragrant jasmine and rose, very Côte Blonde in terms of aromatics. Soft, velvety mouthfeel with flavours of blackberry, cassis and more rose. Slightly higher alcohol and lower acidity than a typical year, not as tense and upright as some recent vintages, making for a luxurious, rich style of Côte-Rôtie. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak, limited new oak, natural yeasts and as many stems as possible. Drinking window: 2026-2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, La Landonne | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Remarkably soft on the palate for La Landonne, it doesn't have the same austere impact at this stage as a more classic vintage. Tannins are soft, ripe and not as intense as usual, but it does have length and ripe black fruit, with a graphite element to the tannins. Acidity is on the low side, as is the alcohol. From parcels planted at different times with an average age of 40 years. Drinking window: 2027-2039 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Rostaing, La Viallière | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Soft impression on the palate, though does have the Viallière elegance and violet aroma. Good concentration, slightly warming alcohol, velvety tannins. Actually quite robust in tannic weight on the finish, but acidity is fairly gentle. From 90-year-old vines, the oldest of the domaine, from which they take cuttings for replantings. Drinking window: 2026-2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Vincent Paris, La Geynale | Cornas | Red | 95 | Has good weight of fruit, though no huge concentration like in other vintages. Ends on quite firm tannins, but they have a certain suppleness compared to the harsher green tannins elsewhere in Cornas this year. Classic style, with grip and presence that should age with interest, though will always be one for fans of a more ascetic Cornas style. Whole-bunch fermented, from 100-year-old vines grown in Reynard. Aged in used barrels, no new oak. 4,000 bottles made. Drinking window: 2028-2036 Click to see full details | |
| E Guigal, La Reynarde | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | A very floral expression, rose and potpourri. Soft and juicy, easy to enjoy, quite searching tannins, but not overly powerful or robust. A little more fluid than Guigal's other Côte-Rôties, it's not as concentrated as La Turque but more so than La Mouline. A fresh and quite natural expression, which is low in acidity but still very good. Has taken the élevage well to date, which will be 40 months in new oak barriques like the other La Las. The 1.5ha site in lieu-dit Fongeant was planted over the course of four years, the first plantation in 2019. All whole bunch like La Landonne, but sees a more classic extraction using hand pigeage. A promising first vintage. Drinking window: 2030-2040 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, La Mordorée | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Rich, soft, juicy and velvety. Remarkably high acidity for the vintage. Bold tannins, more structured than most Côte-Rôties in 2022, showing good concentration and ripeness. A blend of lieux-dits Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, fermented separately then combined. Drinking window: 2028-2037 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Les Granits | St-Joseph | Red | 95 | Very darkly coloured. Meaty, bloody charcoal notes, along with melted-down blackberries and a touch of damson. Full-bodied but not massive, this is a very grand, savoury style that is extremely concentrated and promises great complexity. Structured with forthright acidity and bold, grippy tannins, just a bit too bold, perhaps. Not the most refined but this is still an excellent wine. 10% whole bunch. Drinking window: 2029-2038 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Neve | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Fruity and expressive, with resinous, balsamic touches from the oak – pine needles and cassis. Full-bodied, exceptionally smooth and fulsome on the mid-palate. Great concentration and a big packet of ripe tannins on the finish. Soft and rich, but very good. Hard to judge ageing potential here, it might surprise. Drinking window: 2028-2041 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Cognet | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Agreeably easy-going and soft on the palate, which is ripe and with fairly low acidity. Juicy on the finish, but bright, with intense, ripe tannins. Pleasing sense of harmony, the balance and freshness of the fruit should see this age impressively. Drinking window: 2031-2045 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, La Côte Blonde | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Yes, this is it – wonderful Côte Blonde perfume, unmistakable, so beautifully aromatic. Fabulous tannic finesse, though it is slightly drying on the finish. Lightly peppery, and the 7% Viognier helps provide a little plumpness. Drinking window: 2028-2040 Click to see full details | |
| Stéphane Ogier, Montlys | Côte-Rôtie | Red | 95 | Raspberry hints make for a soft and attractive style with mouthfilling fruit. Grippy, quite assertive, good acidity, perfumed and structured. Stéphane Ogier's most northerly, steepest vineyard and usually the earliest to pick. Drinking window: 2030-2039 Click to see full details | |
| Cave de Tain | Hermitage | White | 94 | Precise, citrussy aromas, then a full-bodied palate showing mango and pear. Acidity is quite low, but the amount of dry extract makes up for it, creating a powerful, rich style. The oak, while liberal, is well integrated and doesn't overwhelm the fruit. Aged in barrel, 30% new, the rest one or two years old. Drinking window: 2025-2036 Click to see full details | |
| Delas Frères, Domaine des Tourettes | Hermitage | White | 94 | Crème pâtissière on the nose, very creamy and rich. Full-bodied, rich and opulent on the palate too, the oak is generously applied, the acidity quite low, but the general effect feels quite authentic. Good length, and a silky, almost oily texture. Lots to enjoy here, in a very luxurious, rich style. Drinking window: 2025-2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Coursodon, Silice Blanc | St-Joseph | White | 94 | Exotic pineapple and mille-feuille pastry aromas. Generous, full-bodied, the bright acidity helps to provide a sense of drinkability. A serious, powerful, long, fairly majestic style of St-Joseph, and is far from the most expensive. Fermented in stainless steel, malolactic completed. Drinking window: 2023-2030 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gonon, Les Oliviers | St-Joseph | White | 94 | Quince and pear, ripe but not overripe. Silky, broad and full – as always for this cuvée – but with good freshness and acidity, and gently warming alcohol on the finish. Very long, with good tension and a touch of honey and nougat to end on. An intense and concentrated vintage. Drinking window: 2023-2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marc Sorrel | Hermitage | White | 94 | Dried pear aromas that are quite discreet for now. Full-bodied, powerful, opulent and rich, the alcohol feels quite prominent, but there's plenty of extract and flavour, with a strongly saline finish. Oak is well integrated. Quite a mighty style. Drinking window: 2023-2038 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Niero, Chérytage | Condrieu | White | 94 | Ripe apricot flesh on the nose, with floral nuances such as violets. Full-bodied but not heavy, with good acidity and a precise, focused finish. The oak is quite noticeable but doesn't overwhelm the fruit and the finish is long. This is not a new cuvée, but rather an evolution of Niero's cuvée Héritage. After a closer inspection of plot boundaries, it transpired that the Chéry plot was partly in Vernon, partly in Chéry, so now Niero is bottling the Vernon part separately and the remaining part of Chéry now goes into Héritage since the 2021 vintage, hence the new name, Chérytage. Drinking window: 2023-2028 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Niero, Les Ravines | Condrieu | White | 94 | Fresh, expressive and perky style without too much weight or excessive body. Good acidity and the alcohol doesn't feel as high as some 2022s. Lightly spiced nectarine fruit, this has energy and drinkability, though is certainly rich and ripe. 20-year-old vines on average, across five excellent lieux-dits, 40% aged in barrel, the rest in stainless steel. Drinking window: 2023-2026 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Les Granits Blanc | St-Joseph | White | 94 | Full-bodied, silky and fresh. The reduction is well controlled, a touch of struck match brings complexity. Fine, elegant, bold but well balanced. From the east-facing lieu-dit St-Joseph. Drinking window: 2024-2035 Click to see full details | |
| M Chapoutier, Lieu-dit Hongrie | St-Péray | White | 94 | A full-bodied, generous, bold style of St-Péray, it has a strong character and an assertive nature. The oak here is quite marked, shaping the finish, giving it some length and tension. A powerful, dry St-Péray. Some vines are 20-25 years old, others are younger. Mostly aged in demi-muids with around 15% new oak. Drinking window: 2024-2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Coursodon, Le Paradis Saint-Pierre | St-Joseph | Red | 94 | Some attractive Christmas spicing to the generous black fruits. Plump, round and fruity, with lovely, silky, supple tannins and a long finish. Particularly successful in this vintage thanks to the generosity of fruit, ripe tannins and smart oak work. Very good indeed. Drinking window: 2025-2032 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Gonon | St-Joseph | Red | 94 | Relatively light in body for this cuvée, with very fine tannins for the vintage and good acidity. Nice sense of vibrancy, but perhaps not as deep or long as the finest vintages of Gonon's St-Joseph. Enjoyably crisp structure, however, and a lightly mineral finish. There's a possibility this might close down for a period, so drink young or wait until 2030. Drinking window: 2024-2036 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave | St-Joseph | Red | 94 | A tasting of the four main parts (Les Challaix, Le Clos, La Dardouille and Bachasson) suggests that this will be a vintage that combines power – black fruits and thick tannins from La Dardouille – and more lifted, fleshy, fragrant, low acid elements from Les Challaix, plus Bachasson's rose and raspberry. A little richer and more velvety than a typical year. Drinking window: 2023-2031 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine JL Chave, Clos Florentin | St-Joseph | Red | 94 | Violets and menthol on the palate, within soft, juicy, succulent tannins. The acidity is a little lower and alcohol a little higher than recent vintages. Nevertheless, a beautiful wine that may score higher after bottling. Drinking window: 2023-2035 Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Vincent Paris, Granit 60 | Cornas | Red | 94 | Some welcome ripeness to the blackberry fruit here. Soft and juicy, with a velvety touch on the mid-palate. More generous alcohol than most, and balanced acidity, leading to a long, juicy finish. Much better than most 2022 Cornas, this has depth and ripeness. 50-year-old vines, 30% whole bunch, natural yeasts and no new oak. Drinking window: 2026-2030 Click to see full details | |
| Emmanuel Darnaud | Hermitage | Red | 94 | More weight and concentration than some Hermitage this year, as well as more alcohol, concentration and a larger frame that will help it age. Fairly long finish, the oak does lend a slightly drying touch, yet this is very fine, floral, expressive and energetic. From lieux-dits Les Greffieux and Les Bessards. Drinking window: 2027-2036 Click to see full details | |
| Lionel Faury, Les Ribaudes | St-Joseph | Red | 94 | Gorgeous nose of violets and pink peppercorns. It's tannic, powerful, but enjoyably strict and straight. Good energy and intensity, not as soupy as some 2022s, though certainly ripe and long, with great verve. Fermented in concrete with some whole berries; aged in barrels of various sizes. Drinking window: 2025-2033 Click to see full details |