Unprecedented hot and dry conditions in 2022 led to small yields, and consequently highly concentrated wines with big tannin potential. Some vines suffered in the drought but many grapes adapted early on and, with careful and sensitive work in the vineyards, vines were able to stay active and green until harvest, with small but healthy berries. Picking dates were crucial, as was gentle extraction, while strategies for vinifications and preserving acidity varied. Where successful, the best examples show surprising freshness and supreme charm, with a large number of wines that are both immensely appealing and approachable but will also age.
With any new Bordeaux vintage there is the inevitable hype – it’s the most scrutinised wine region in the world, with more than 7,000 people coming to the region this April to taste, rate and give their opinions on the new wines. The year presented never-seen-before climatic conditions, with ‘earliest ever’ harvests, irrigation permitted in places for the first time and nail-biting decisions throughout the year regarding vineyard management, cover crop usage, de-leafing strategies, picking dates, maceration lengths (and temperatures), and ultimately the preparation of primeur samples – many consisting of the wine’s final blend, but not all.
MULTI-FACETED STORY
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Decanter.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Decanter.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Pepe Raventós
A single-minded commitment to sustainability and terroir, combined with business acumen and first-class communication skills, have made his one the most interesting (and divisive) names in Spanish wine. In the end, though, all he wants is for the land to speak through his wines
DO TORO - Tasting a land and its history
In Spain's Castilla y León, DO Toro still offers the serious, powerful Tinta de Toro that established its reputation - as well as elegant, refined expressions and even organic white wines
SPANISH ICONS
For decades, there were just a few wines regarded as Spain's most revered. Recently, these have been joined by a growing cast of modern-day powerhouses that have risen rapidly to win the hearts of critics and collectors alike. Read on to discover the 10 Spanish wines you should try before you die
Wine myths debunked
Accepted wisdom isn't always especially wise. Here are four examples from the world of wine
HUGH JOHNSON - 'I've often tried offering a little First Steps in Tasting'
There are a few bottles in my gradually dwindling cellar here that have question marks over them.
THE CAMINO - A food & wine guide
Quite possibly the world's most popular Christian pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago conveniently passes through some of northern Spain's best wine- and food-producing regions
Pink gins for Valentine's Day
Turn on the romance with a pre-dinner cocktail concocted from one of these rosy spirits
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
Why a range of Italian grape varieties are flourishing in Australia's soils, and what the future holds for them
Rhône 2023
In a year that was respectively 'challenging' and 'troublesome' in south and north, it will be vital to follow expert advice when it comes to finding the wines that you'll enjoy. The effects of some extreme swings in the weather were quite localised, however, so there are plenty of good wines to be found. Our Rhône expert Contributing Editor tasted 1,250 wines in all - here's a selection of 45 of his top picks
Plaimont
Preserving the wisdom of the past - to shape the wines of the future
