Vintage Guides – Decanter https://www.decanter.com The world’s most prestigious wine website, including news, reviews, learning, food and travel Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:12:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/01/cropped-Decanter_Favicon-Brand-32x32.png Vintage Guides – Decanter https://www.decanter.com 32 32 Chablis 2022: Full vintage report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/chablis-2022-full-vintage-report-and-top-scoring-wines-517499/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 06:44:10 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=517499 Chablis 2022

It’s a ‘very fine vintage’, says a delighted Andy Howard MW...

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Chablis 2022

Chablis 2022: 4.5/5


‘It was a very good vintage with extremely healthy grapes’ – Vincent Dauvissat


Chablis 2022: wine of the vintage

Domaine François Raveneau, Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru

After a week spent in Chablis tasting 375 wines, it is clear that 2022 is a very good year – and potentially an excellent one. Although a warm and very dry vintage, yields were not excessive and, crucially, acidity is high. The resulting wines are very well balanced with a lovely combination of the freshness and minerality which typifies Chablis, combined with fleshy, ripe, stone- and tree-fruit flavours.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for a selection of top-scoring and top-value Chablis 2022 wines


Coming after the very challenging growing season in 2021 (severe frosts, cold weather and rainfall leading to disease pressure), Chablis 2022 has a different style and one which will appeal both to ‘classic’ Chablis lovers as well as those looking for more generous fruit character.

Top producer Vincent Dauvissat commented that in 2022 ‘the vines were recovering from 2021, and were compensating with lots of vegetative growth’. Dauvissat notes: ‘It was a very good vintage with extremely healthy grapes.’


See the Chablis 2022 top wines score table for all wines scoring 93 points or above



Howard’s pick: 30 great buys

The following wines are Andy Howard MW’s pick of the top-scoring and best-value Chablis 2022 wines, according to his own extensive tastings, as well as including wines from ‘producers to look out for’.

NB: many retailers’ allocations for these wines are as yet unconfirmed – prices and stockists are given where available, and alcohol levels are shown where known at the time of writing. If we have awarded ‘Top value’ to an as-yet unpriced wine, it is based on our predicted pricing.


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Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/cote-rotie-condrieu-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515486/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:33:22 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515486 Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022

It could take a while for the Côte-Rôties to come round...

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Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022

Côte-Rôtie

Young Côte-Rôties are normally fairly easy to read, but that wasn’t the case with the 2022s. Many of them appeared very fruity, with soft structures, lacking energy and aromatic detail. There were some excellent exceptions however, often from those originating from old vines grown on schist and fermented with a proportion of whole bunch.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022 wines


See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines


Matt Walls’ top-scoring Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed Condrieu then Côte-Rôtie in score order.


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Regional profile: Condrieu plus 12 wines to seek out

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St-Joseph 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/st-joseph-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515472/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:31:47 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515472
AOC Saint Joseph

An excellent vintage for reds and whites...

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AOC Saint Joseph

It felt like I was tasting two different vintages while working my way through more than 100 St-Josephs this year. Some of the reds were diminutive but fresh and well-balanced; others were soft, luxurious and liqueur-fruited.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines


See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.


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Give the gift of wine experiences this holiday season https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/california-wine-region/give-the-gift-of-wine-experiences-this-holiday-season-515153/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515153 Wine being poured for a wine tasting experience
Tasting at Wheeler Farms.

Inspiration for the perfect gift...

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Wine being poured for a wine tasting experience
Tasting at Wheeler Farms.

Wine tasting experiences can offer a range of opportunities, from the basics of wine education to exploring the vineyards and cellars of favourite producers. Below, you’ll find an array of tasting options that might make the perfect gift.

Educational tastings

An introduction to wine tasting: Unlocking the Secrets of Wine with Joseph Phelps

Wine tasting can be confounding and intimidating to the uninitiated, with its technical jargon and opaque traditions. But the new Unlocking the Secrets of Wine experience at Joseph Phelps aims to demystify wine’s most perplexing questions through a unique tasting experience – think of it as a way to fast-track your wine education. Attendees will learn what common wine terms mean, the proper way to store and serve wine, the elements of food pairing and more while tasting through Joseph Phelps’ Napa and Sonoma offerings. Guests should plan for 90 minutes for the experience ($150 per person) and are advised to book well in advance as the experience only runs on certain days of the week.

Off-road in the Finger Lakes: UTV tasting at Heart and Hands

The Finger Lakes is an often-overlooked region for exceptional wines, but the world is catching on to the many gems it offers. One unique way to explore the region is the Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) Tour & Tasting with Heart and Hands Wine Company. Co-founder Susan Higgins will take up to four guests on a bumpy UTV tour of her limestone-laden vineyard and explain the winery’s viticultural practices. Following the in-depth tour, guests will go through a tasting of six wines paired perfectly with six matching small bites. The tour costs $65 per person and lasts 90 minutes.

Guests hiking through the Knudsen vineyards

Hiking among the vines at Knudsen Vineyards. Credit: John Valls

Hike among the vines

A weekend-only tasting event at pioneering Willamette Valley producer Knudsen Vineyards offers guests a unique outdoor experience. Picture exploring the vineyards and then tasting the wines from those historic blocks over a picnic-style lunch. The Knudsens were among the first families in the Willamette to plant Pinot Noir in Oregon’s Dundee Hills. Guests will walk among the old vine blocks, taking in 50 years of wine-growing history, and then taste wines from the vineyard parcels they visited before a hearty lunch at the estate. The hikes go ahead rain or shine, so appropriate footwear is recommended for this two-and-a-half to three hour experience, which costs $95 per guest.

Creating a unique wine

Iconic Washington State winery DeLille Cellars offers guests an opportunity to make their own unique blends based on some of the winery’s most prized lots. DeLille makes some of Washington’s most sought-after wines from vineyards on Red Mountain and in the Yakima Valley, including historic old-vine sites. Guests will be treated to a blending seminar from one of DeLille’s team before creating their own blends. The cost is $145 per guest.

Wine and food experiences

In pursuit of the finer things: Three Sticks caviar experience

The stellar wines of Three Sticks need no accompaniment, but everything is better with caviar. The Caviar Experience at Three Sticks is offered seasonally, from October to January. The tasting is held in partnership with San Francisco’s The Caviar Company, whose different varieties of caviar are paired with single-vineyard wines to showcase how one enhances the other. For $150 per club member and $175 per non-club member, this luxurious culinary experience is a well-priced gift for anyone on your nice list.

Creative pairings

For adventurous foodies, Sequoia Grove in Napa Valley’s Rutherford appellation offers a tasty way to explore the versatility of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sequoia Grove was a pioneering Cabernet house, established in 1979, and has since established unique programming, including a famed ampelography class for those who want to level up their wine knowledge and the A Taste for Cabernet Experience.

The gastronomic experience eschews predictable, classic pairings like steak with Cabernet for more offbeat options. Sequoia Grove’s single-vineyard and reserve wines accompany chef Britny Maureze’s multi-course menu, with culinary creativity that will open guests’ eyes to new approaches. The 90-minute experience costs $150 for non-wine-club members and $100 for members.

Vegetables growning in Wheeler Farms' kitchen garden.

The culinary gardens at Wheeler Farms. Credit: Sara Anne Risk

A three-course culinary lesson

Wheeler Farms, owned by Napa Valley’s famed Araujo family, offers a perfect gift for your favourite foodie. An acclaimed wine brand in its own right, Wheeler Farms is also home to chickens, an apiary, a large garden and fruit trees, all of which are included in their culinary programme, a homage to the agricultural history of the valley.

The Estate Tasting and Cooking Demonstration begins with a tour of the expansive gardens and the winery itself, followed by an up-close cooking demonstration with chef Tom Harder doing what he does best at the kitchen table. The four-course lunch and cooking demonstration is paired with Wheeler Farms wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and a number of unique Cabernet expressions. The experience lasts three hours and costs $350 per person for two-person parties, including a gift from the kitchen.


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Cornas & St-Péray 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/cornas-st-peray-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515479/ Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:15:06 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515479 Cornas & St-Péray 2021
Cornas

Know your producers...

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Cornas & St-Péray 2021
Cornas

Cornas

It was particularly dry in Cornas, with about 100mm of rain between April and harvest, according to Pierre Clape. It’s no surprise therefore that the ripening blockages are felt more keenly here than elsewhere in the north. ‘But the leaves stayed green, in contrast to 2003,’ says Clape.

Tannins can be difficult, rough and fibrous in places, but, both here and elsewhere, sensitive use of oak has helped to paper over the cracks and add some palate weight.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines


See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed in order of St-Péray and Cornas in score order.


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Hermitage 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/hermitage-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515503/ Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:23:54 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515503 Hermitage 2022

More majestic than elegant this year...

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Hermitage 2022

It’s an unusual style of red Hermitage this year: smaller in structure and stature than a usual year. Again, as with other appellations, it’s primarily down to problems with ripening – Guillaume Sorrel said it didn’t rain at all on the hill of Hermitage in June, July or August, and Maxime Chapoutier remembers the mercury hitting 40 ̊C as early as June.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Hermitage 2022 wines


See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring Hermitage 2022 wines:

The wines below scored 92 points and above, and are listed white then red in score order.


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Walls: Tasting Hermitage 2001 20 years on

Getting to know white Hermitage

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Crozes-Hermitage 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/crozes-hermitage-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515494/ Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:23:39 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515494 Crozes-Hermitage 2022

While reds can be varied, whites are a solid choice...

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Crozes-Hermitage 2022

After the disastrous 2021 vintage, 2022 is certainly a step up, though stylistically it couldn’t be more varied.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2022 wines


See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 90 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.


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Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/northern-rhone-2022-full-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515565/ Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:23:21 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515565 Northern Rhône 2022

A stark contrast to 2021, and all the better for it...

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Northern Rhône 2022

Northern Rhône 2022 overall vintage rating: 4/5

Diverse in style and quality due to intense heat and drought. Blockages in ripening were widespread around Cornas and Hermitage, making for some lighter wines with moderate alcohol; others more robust. Côte-Rôtie tends to be soft and velvety. Whites can be overly rich but some are enjoyably powerful and exuberant.


‘Most will drink young and into the medium term, but the more tannic, structured wines will take a long time to soften, then age for decades’



Top-scoring northern Rhône 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 96 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.


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Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/rasteau-cairanne-vinsobres-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515540/ Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:16:52 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515540 Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022
Vinsobres.

Don't overlook Rasteau this year...

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Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022
Vinsobres.

Rasteau

Outside Châteauneuf, the best performing appellation was Rasteau. There were no problems with green tannins here, which Jérôme Bressy of Domaine Gourt de Mautens believes is thanks to the abundance of clay. The 2022 vintage has delivered wines with bright fruit, good concentration and balanced alcohol. They are often robustly tannic however, so pay close attention to drinking windows.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022 wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022 wines:

See below the top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne and Vinsobres wines, listed by appellation and white then red in score order.


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Lirac & Tavel 2022: report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/lirac-tavel-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515553/ Sun, 19 Nov 2023 09:15:30 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515553 Lirac & Tavel 2022
Tavel vineyards.

Find good value wines in these two appellations...

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Lirac & Tavel 2022
Tavel vineyards.

Lirac

On top of drought and intense heat in 2022, the west bank of the Rhône also had to deal with hail, which caused localised damage.

The reds in Lirac are very concentrated this year, sometimes overripe or sternly tannic. The whites and rosés based on Clairette tend to be the most vibrant.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Lirac & Tavel 2022 wines


See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Southern Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring Lirac & Tavel 2022 wines:

See below all of the Tavel and Lirac wines from the 2022 en primeur report.


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Southern Oregon 2021: Vintage report https://www.decanter.com/premium/southern-oregon-2021-vintage-report-516486/ Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:00:05 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=516486 vineyards with a winery in the background
Troon Vineyard

A look at the 2021 vintage in Southern Oregon...

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vineyards with a winery in the background
Troon Vineyard

The region’s vintners welcomed the 2021 vintage after what was a cataclysmic year in 2020, marred by wildfire smoke. The heat dome phenomenon was the signature event of the growing season. Yet, as in the Willamette Valley further to the north, it occurred early enough in the summer not to impact the vintage’s final wines. Yields were below average, and the dry conditions marked the beginning of a drought that is still ongoing in this part of Oregon.

Overall, the wines from 2021 in Southern Oregon are riper in style, and the white wines show brilliant balance. While many of the red wines have yet to be released, they are tending towards opulence and ripeness overall.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 21 top wines from Southern Oregon in 2021


Warm but not hot


Southern Oregon 2021: Top-wines tasted


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Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/gigondas-vacqueyras-beaumes-de-venise-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515534/ Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:53:05 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515534 Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022
The vineyards of Gigondas.

Overall freshness and balance to be found...

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Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022
The vineyards of Gigondas.

Gigondas

The picture is more mixed in Gigondas than in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with more instances of unripe tannin due to higher crop loads or picking too early.

The successful wines have impact, freshness and low alcohol, even if they aren’t always terribly deep or long in flavour. The best however are excellent, and I share the opinion of Louis Barruol of Château de Saint Cosme that these will age with interest.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for top Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022 wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed in order of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise, white then red in score order.


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Willow Creek 2021: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/willow-creek-2021-report-and-top-scoring-wines-516124/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:46:39 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=516124 Willow Creek 2021
Heart Hill in the Willow Creek AVA

The top wines from one Paso's premier appellations...

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Willow Creek 2021
Heart Hill in the Willow Creek AVA

Just south of the sub-AVA Adelaida District lies Willow Creek, a high rainfall, high-elevation sub-district with similar properties. J Dusi Wines, a legacy Paso producer, has been farming the Paper Street vineyard, which straddles Adelaida and Willow Creek, for close to 10 years. The vineyard is planted to head-trained Zinfandel with cuttings from the Dusis’ century-old Dusi vineyard.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Willow Creek 2021 wines



Cohen’s pick from Willow Creek 2021: the sub-appellation’s standout wines


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Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/chateauneuf-du-pape-2022-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515559/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:22:03 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515559

The best-performing appellation in 2022...

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Antoine Daumen of Domaine de la Vieille Julienne was unsure about the season as it progressed. ‘We were cautious to begin with, we had low expectations,’ he says, ‘but the old vines were still very healthy at the end despite the dryness.’ He was pleased with the domaine’s wines in 2022 – they have silky tannins, moderate alcohol and good acidity.

Châteauneuf rode out the challenges of 2022 better than any other appellation this year, and unpleasantly green tannins are relatively rare.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 wines



Matt Walls’ top-scoring Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.


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Southern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/southern-rhone-2022-full-report-and-top-scoring-wines-515579/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:21:31 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515579 Southern Rhône 2022

A vintage for reds...

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Southern Rhône 2022

Southern Rhône 2022 overall vintage rating: 4/5

Extreme weather conditions produced reds that range from light and juicy to dense and powerful. Blockages in ripening caused by heat and drought made for moderate alcohol levels, but sometimes tough tannins. Whites can lack freshness. Some excellent, ageworthy Châteauneuf-du-Papes; also good in Rasteau.


‘Hot, dry vintages tend to favour red wines and 2022 is no exception. In general the style is fairly concentrated and fruity, if not profound’


Top-scoring southern Rhône 2022 wines:

A selection of 30 southern Rhône wines which scored 95 points or above, listed white then red in score order.


Related articles

Rhône 2022 en primeur diary: The south

Get to know Southern Rhône: Good, better, best

Southern Rhône white wines: how do they compare?

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Adelaida District 2021: Report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/adelaida-district-2021-report-and-top-scoring-wines-516111/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 20:22:57 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=516111 Adelaida District 2021
Grapes at harvest time.

See the top wines from the exciting sub-region's 2021 vintage...

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Adelaida District 2021
Grapes at harvest time.

Home of top-quality Paso wine, Adelaida is the westernmost of the sub-districts and closest to the Pacific Ocean.

At its closest point, Adelaida lies just less than 10km from the coast, with the Santa Lucia Range mountains in between the two. The average rainfall in Adelaida is generally the highest in the Paso region, at 635mm per year, and in 2021 the bulk of the rain came from one late-winter storm.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Adelaida District 2021 wines


Tablas Creek reported 330mm of rainfall that year, with 300mm coming from that one storm. The Adelaida district boasts the highest elevation in Paso, up to 670m.


Cohen’s pick from Adelaida District 2021: the sub-appellation’s standout wines


Related articles

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Paso Robles vineyards & wineries to visit

Napa Cabernet 2020: Vintage report and top recommendations

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Rhône 2022 en primeur: Full vintage report and top-scoring wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/rhone-2022-en-primeur-full-vintage-report-and-top-scoring-wines-516460/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:38 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=516460
Matt Walls tasting in the cellars at Domaine Richaud.

It's worth doing your research before buying from this surprising vintage...

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Matt Walls tasting in the cellars at Domaine Richaud.

Rhône 2022 en primeur vintage rating:

Northern Rhône: 4 /5

Diverse in style and quality due to intense heat and drought. Blockages in ripening were widespread around Cornas and Hermitage, making for some lighter wines with moderate alcohol; others more robust. Côte-Rôtie tends to be soft and velvety. Whites can be overly rich but some are enjoyably powerful and exuberant

Southern Rhône: 4 /5

Extreme weather conditions produced reds that range from light and juicy to dense and powerful. Blockages in ripening caused by heat and drought made for moderate alcohol levels, but sometimes tough tannins. Whites can lack freshness. Some excellent, ageworthy Châteauneuf-du-Papes; also good in Rasteau.


‘Never before has a vintage so confounded my expectations’


While preparing for my three-week visit to taste the 2022 vintage in the Rhône, I read that the region experienced the hottest and driest growing season since 1950. Even hotter and drier than 2003 – a vintage burned into the memory of local winemakers. So I approached the tastings with a degree of trepidation. Extreme conditions rarely make for balanced wines.


Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top-scoring Rhône 2022 wines



Top-scoring Rhône 2022 wines

See below the 30 highest scoring wines, listed white then red in score order.


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Rhône 2022 en primeur diary: The south

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Paso Robles 2021: Vintage report and top 30 wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/paso-robles-2021-vintage-report-and-top-30-wines-515518/ Mon, 13 Nov 2023 10:06:53 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=515518 L'Aventure Winery, which benefited from its moisture-retaining limestone soils during the drought conditions of 2021
L'Aventure Winery, which benefited from its moisture-retaining limestone soils during the drought conditions of 2021.

Brianne Cohen picks her favourite reds from a near-perfect vintage...

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L'Aventure Winery, which benefited from its moisture-retaining limestone soils during the drought conditions of 2021
L'Aventure Winery, which benefited from its moisture-retaining limestone soils during the drought conditions of 2021.

After a challenging 2020 vintage, 2021 arrived in this key region in California’s Central Coast with near-perfect conditions, though with lower than ideal yields. Where successful, the best examples showed power and balance with acidity as a welcome foil.

Jason Haas, proprietor at Tablas Creek Vineyard, calls 2021 in Paso Robles ‘the recipe for a really great, blockbuster-style vintage’ and ‘as you would if you could design a vintage from scratch’.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 30 standout Paso Robles 2021 wines


For many, bud break in 2021 was earlier than normal, there were no major heat spikes, and it was a relatively long growing season and ripening cycle, because the beginning of the season was so early.


Paso Robles 2021: 30 standout wines


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Champagne: Latest autumn releases tasted https://www.decanter.com/premium/champagne-latest-autumn-releases-tasted-514536/ Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:00:40 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=514536 Champagne new releases

The finest of just-released fizz...

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Champagne new releases

Throughout the year, Decanter’s experts receive exclusive first tastes of the top new Champagnes, and as the festive season approaches, our correspondent Tom Hewson brings you his verdict on a clutch of superb, just-released cuvées.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the latest Champagnes released this autumn



Latest Champagne releases: tasting notes and scores


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Languedoc report 2023: Best value wines https://www.decanter.com/premium/languedoc-report-2023-best-value-wines-516189/ Sun, 05 Nov 2023 08:27:07 +0000 https://www.decanter.com/?p=516189 Languedoc report 2023 value

Great Languedoc wines at affordable prices...

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Languedoc report 2023 value

It’s no secret that when it comes to finding quality wines with complexity and character at affordable price points, Languedoc is ripe for the picking.

Value isn’t its only calling card, but it is one of the main reasons Languedoc remains so exciting you can discover new wine styles and experiment with grape varieties you’ve never tried before all without breaking the bank.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the 10 best value picks from the Languedoc report 2023


See the Languedoc report 2023 homepage

Individual appellation analysis:

Limoux | Corbières & Minervois | La Clape | St-Chinian | Faugères | Picpoul de Pinet | Terrasses du Larzac | Pic St Loup


Individual appellation analyis:

Limoux | Corbières & Minervois | La Clape | St-Chinian | Faugères | Picpoul de Pinet | Terrasses du Larzac | Pic St Loup


The 10 best value picks from the Languedoc report 2023:

The wines below are listed by style then score.


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