Just in…William Kelley of the Wine Advocate gives out quite a few 100 point scores!

We are big fans of Mr. Kelley and were wondering how he’d score the 2022 Bordeaux in bottle. Safe to say he’s a fan!  He’s a tough grader and many of these wines now own 100 point scores from multiple critics. Pretty impressive!

"The high quality of the bottled 2022 vintage is testimony to how good winemaking is in contemporary Bordeaux. Two years ago, our en primeur report sought to answer some of the crucial questions begged by the vintage: How did conditions so extreme deliver wines of such aromatic range and freshness? How can wines of such density and structure exhibit such textural refinement and charm? From cask, the best 2022s showed a singular style and immense promise. We cautioned, however, that some producers would surely trip before the final hurdle of bottling, as the 2022s’ high pHs and low acidities offered fertile ground for microbial spoilage and lent the vintage, for all its power, a certain fragility.  

We are delighted to report, therefore, that the 2022 vintage has turned out brilliantly in bottle. With comparatively few exceptions, the best 2022s’ compelling marriage of ripeness and aromatic freshness, power and precision has made it into bottle intact. Despite above-average alcohols and, thus, a higher-than-usual solvent capacity, the wines’ early oak integration is particularly and surprisingly good. And incidences of detectable levels of Brettanomyces-derived volatile phenols, which impart animal aromas of leather and barnyard, were if anything lower than in 2021. Absence of flaws alone, of course, does not equate to greatness; but it helps.

… The reality of the marketplace aside, however, what is clear is that the very best 2022 Bordeaux are wines that everyone is going to want to have in their glass—no matter the price…." 

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate 03/06/2025