VINTAGE PREVIEW: SOUTHERN RHONE 2022
The hot, dry and sometimes stormy conditions were problematic in places at times during the 2022 season. Where successful, crops were healthy and there are good wines to be found, if not always for the long term – pay heed to drinking windows and our expert’s advice
Bud break in early spring 2022 was a little later than an average year in the southern Rhône, yet harvest was early, so the growing season was contracted due to the extraordinary heat and drought. Flowering went well, and it was the earliest veraison (when grapes turn from green to red) ever reported.
The extreme weather conditions (see box, p43) were both a blessing and a curse. Berries were particularly small this year due to the lack of water (according to Institut Rhodanien, between 15 October 2021 and 1 September 2022, it rained just 300mm in the southern Rhône, compared to an average of 600mm), meaning a high proportion of skins to juice, making for some very tannic wines. This isn’t problematic if tannins are ripe, but where hydric stress was more severe the wines lack depth or taste green and bitter. The hot weather also contributed to low levels of acidity.
The conditions led to some stop-start ripening, though one welcome effect of this was to curb alcohol levels, which are pleasantly low this year. The dry weather at harvest, which started in mid-August for the whites, meant there was no disease pressure in the vineyards and producers could wait for the right moment to pick.
UPS AND DOWNS
Hot, dry vintages tend to favour red wines and 2022 is no exception. Grenache fared well, particularly old vines grown on water-retaining clay, whose roots had better access to water reserves. Mourvèdre is very dense and tannic this year, providing resonance and ageing potential. Syrah struggled in the heat. The whites can lack elegance and freshness, but certain producers with old vines in the best terroirs made some very impressive wines in a broad, generous, Provençal style. Clairette-based blends stood out for their freshness over the richer Roussanne.
Because some vines suffered blockages in ripening and others didn’t, it’s hard to summarise the style of the 2022s in the southern Rhône, but in general it’s fairly concentrated and fruity, if not profound. Châteauneuf performed the best, while the more brutally tannic, overripe or overly alcoholic wines were found elsewhere.
It’s a better vintage than I expected, and there are many good wines to buy, some of w
