Burgundy En Primeur2022 Vintage Report

Our diverse and enticing array of wines, carefully curated by the team at Armit, is a testament to the unparalleled quality and complexity that Burgundy has to offer – from regional to Grand Cru appellations. In the face of climate change, Burgundy has ascended to new heights, offering not only quality but accessibility.

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Our Master Sommelier Nicolas Clerc and the Armit team have been busy assessing the 2022 vintage in Burgundy.

Over the coming weeks we will offer the fruits of this vintage as and when they are available, so please check back from time to time to see new releases and secure your preferences. In order for us to know your preferred wines and producers so we may secure allocations for you, we invite you to fill in your request online or get in touch with our Private Client team directly by clicking here.

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The Growing Season

The 2022 vintage began with a dry growing season. A mild winter transitioned into a beautiful spring, initiating early bud break. Flowering occured in dry conditions, faced minimal disease pressure, setting the stage for healthy fruit set, early in the season.

Early summer was marked by drought and some hydric stress until the end of June when 200 mm of much-needed water fell in a short period of time, cooling down the plants and filling the reserve for the scorching months ahead.

A blistering summer ensued, causing veraison to either slow or stop due to hydric stress. Relief arrived in mid-August, providing the vines with the necessary water to propel fruit ripening under the intense heat, culminating in an early harvest – essential to retain freshness and acidity into the berries.

The berries where thick, concentrated and plentiful, yielding extraordinarily concentrated juice: Céline Fontaine of Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard recalls “the berries being as thick as chewing gum’!

The Growing Season Continued

A distinctive trait of the vintage lies in the contrast of high daytime temperatures and cooler nights, resulting in wines with a fresher character. Harvest dates, critical in solar vintages, saw Chardonnay in Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet maturing rapidly. The harvest commenced in late August for most white growers in the Côte de Beaune and the first week of September for Côte de Nuits and Pinot Noir growers.

Many compared the 2022 Chardonnay with that produced in 2020, but “more precise and lifted, with increased focus and less influence by the generous warmth”, according to Benoit Riffault at Domaine Etienne Sauzet, while Christophe Roumier at Domaine Georges Roumier believes that 2022 will “share many characteristics with 2017: refined, reflecting the terroir, racy and precise”.The wines were often flamboyant and open from an early stage, destined to reveal their true character after a second winter of rest for those patient enough!

The Elegance of the Côte de Beaune

The warmth of the vintage, coupled with wines with low malic acid and an early harvest, yielded a concentrated juice-to-skin ratio bringing a certain lift to the wines. The palate, in turn, is refreshing and tense with the Chardonnay displaying crystalline purity, whilst Pinot Noir balances textural firmness with crunchy berries and floral tones.

Buoyed by a plentiful harvest, producers invested in new barrels, infusing the wines with a pleasant spicy and savoury character. This is the case at Domaine de Montille: “we had to increase the amount of new oak, and on certain cuvees ... The wines remain very much in the de Montille style, but they will be made more for long ageing with structure and tannic characteristics”.

In the words of Benjamin Leroux, “each wine and each appellation is where it should be”. Pierre Antonin Darviot from Domaine Darviot-Perrin seconded that comment, now on his third vintage, his Meursault and Chassagne -Montrachet are some of the best examples of classicism and quality.

The Côte de Beaune performed very well, and each of the key appellations is a classic reflection of its terroir: Volnay is pretty, Pommard is solid, whilst the villages of Meursault, Chassagne and Puligny are pure, precise and on top form. Customers looking for value are advised to explore Ladoix, Beaune, Savigny, the Haute Côtes de Beaune, and the Bourgogne regional appellations.

The Charisma of Côte de Nuits

While the northern reaches of the region suffered from water scarcity, notably the sandy parcels of Marsannay and Fixin where the solar character is more prominent, the reds emerged with a richer and juicier profile. Aurelien Vedet described it as a “technical vintage”, whilst Romain Taupenot of Domaine Taupenot-Merme “welcomed a healthy harvest, with rain at the right time and optimal ripeness.” Both producers excelled in key appellations such as Morey-St-Denis and Nuits-St-George.

Gevrey-Chambertin emerged as a key village of the vintage, with Nicolas Potel from Domaine Roche de Bellene and Jean-Luc Burguet of Domaine Alain Burguet providing us with optimal precision in some of their 1er Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. The quality and focus of the fruit – in particular, the precision and the charm of their 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques – is simply exemplary. Nicolas has move to 80% of his ageing in large oak contenant, from 600 to 1200 litres, limiting impact of maturation in favour of fruit purity.

Clement Boillot at Domaine Ghislaine Barthod in Chambolle-Musigny has produced some of the most pretty and lifted wines of the vintage, offering delicacy, chiselled freshness and harmony. He shortened the maturation to 13 months in oak, thanks to the wines being open and accessible since the early summer. Christophe Roumier has done the same, who noted the lower level of alcohol in wines which reveal an extra dimension of elegance.

Across appellations, the reds were pretty and open, even at the Grand Cru level. Early bottling will likely be important for some producers, whilst the cooler temperatures at the end of November will see many wines close down over the winter.

The Terroir-Driven Wines of Chablis

In Chablis, the absence of frost, coupled with a timely June rainfall, set the stage for a straightforward growing season. Heatwaves punctuated the summer, but multiple rainfalls mitigated their impact.

Didier Seguier at William Fevre commented: “the wines now are very pleasant, this is a vintage of precision with real identity of our different terroirs. A vintage to drink, but a vintage to age too, the sign of a great millesime!” The resulting wines, ripe with yellow fruit and stone fruit, retained a focus on acidity and showcased the unique identity of the contrasting Chablis terroirs.

Our Conclusion

Our diverse and enticing array of wines, carefully curated by the team at Armit, is a testament to the unparalleled quality and complexity that Burgundy has to offer – from regional to Grand Cru appellations. With climate change, the quality of Burgundy’s wines have never been so high, from regional Bourgogne appellations to Grand Cru.

Whilst some domains may be subject to strict allocation, price stabilisation and an increased accessibility of some Crus are to be anticipated. The 2022 vintage beckons exploration with confidence – a stellar collection marked by refreshing approachability, underlying structure, and a solidity that promises years of pleasure.

We invite you to create your Wishlist and embark on a journey through Burgundy’s finest wines.