2022: Great? Or Challenging…

The comments were many and positive when the 2022 grapes were harvested: very healthy fruit, and a lot of it.

The abundance in some places filled the cellar to the brim, yet soon some vignerons noticed that all was not always normal.

Early malolactic fermentation

In some cellars malolactic fermentation in the ’22s started and concluded very fast indeed. This happened even in some cellars that usually have normal, or even slow, malo.

I can’t say that this is necessarily bad for the wines, but it was a first sign that not all is normal with the 2022s.

High pH

What’s worse, however, is that pH values post-malo went through the roof in some wineries. Levels of pH at 3.8, 3.9 or even 4.0 and higher is not good for the wines’ stability. Put another way, this is a good condition for a lot of potential problems -Brettanomyces and volatile acidity, just to mention two.

Some very prominent producers have an issue with pH, and some have already acidified accordingly to stabilize the situation.

Be aware

So be aware; ask about pH levels; ask if the producer needed to acidify. These are key questions for tastings of the 2022s.

I think the vintage can be great, but often also prove challenging, and for some, perhaps even difficult.