Joery in Bordeaux

Saint-Émilion on the rise, or rather 'keeping up appearances'? A report on the 2022 vintage, and a classification system that raises questions.

After a long break, international travel is picking up again, so it was high time to visit our friends in the Libournais. This area contains two very well-known regions: Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Both are unique and have their own profile in terms of classification, taste, and terroir. It remains extremely difficult to say which is actually the best.

The biggest difference with its neighbors on the Left Bank, the Médoc: hardly any Cabernet Sauvignon is grown here, and white wine is scarce. Under the appellation, it is not even permitted.

The reason is simple: the terroir. The soil here has a slightly different composition, with more sand and some argilo-calcaire, and this sandy soil just happens to be Merlot's favorite terroir. On top of that, a major crisis occurred in the late 1950s, when a large part of the harvest was damaged by extreme cold. Because Merlot can achieve very high yields at a qualitative level, it was massively replanted. That legacy is still felt today.

Climate and terroir

Who won't remember the summer of 2022? One with multiple heatwaves and especially extreme drought. Those who found cooling by the edge of a swimming pool, book in hand and music on the record player, were enjoying themselves. For everyone in agriculture, it was another bizarre year in a series, in which we are increasingly confronted with global warming and all its consequences.

Fortunately, viticulture is a tradition spanning many generations. The cycle of a vine is equally determined by the many years before, and by what happened within the walls of the estate at that time.

To better understand Saint-Émilion, it is worth taking a closer look at the terroirs. Around the church and village center are the oldest and most prestigious vineyards: Angélus, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Ausone, Pavie. This is due to the rolling landscape on the way to the village, with a full southerly exposure and a higher percentage of the typical clay and limestone subsoil. This combination produces wines with a broader structure, and bunches that require a little more ripening time. The highest vineyards on this plateau, such as Troplong-Mondot and La Serre, have slightly more yellow limestone and are usually the last to be picked due to their slow ripening.

To the left of Saint-Émilion, you enter a flat area, where the soil mainly consists of sand. Here, the vineyards abut Pomerol: La Marzelle, Figeac, and Grand Corbin Despagne are a stone's throw from Pétrus, and the concentration of pebbles is slightly higher. The wines are denser, with more power, and primarily benefit from the much greater diversity in the soil.

At Grand Corbin Despagne, research showed that no fewer than 53 different soil types occur on a patchwork of barely 27 hectares. The winemaker thus has a huge range of possibilities to determine the ultimate style and taste of his wine.

Slightly further east of Saint-Émilion, you'll find slopes again, with a warmer microclimate. At Tertre Roteboeuf, they saw an opportunity in this: they planted olive trees and figs to emphasize this fact. In this region, picking often happens quite early, although at Tertre Roteboeuf, they wait exceptionally long to showcase the typical ripe style. This wine only comes onto the market after 24 months of aging in small barrels.

The lower zone of Saint-Émilion is less interesting in terms of terroir, and this translates into less complex wines.

2022 Harvest

Now that we have examined the soil more closely, it becomes easier to understand why some winemakers were already picking while others still had to start. It mainly depends on the relationship between sand, argilo-calcaire, and pebbles, and the style the winemaker aims for.

It is certain that it will be an atypical year. As of writing this text, we are in the third week of September, normally the period when picking just begins. And yet, a large part of the harvest, especially the Merlot, is already in this year.

Meanwhile, 50% of the appellation works biodynamically, and several winemakers confirm that this results in more freshness and acidity in the grapes than before. They often choose to preserve these as much as possible by picking earlier. Only a few are still waiting to start, mainly for Cabernet Franc, to avoid too many green impressions during tasting.

It is therefore a ripe vintage where you have to pay attention to the balance between acidity and fruit. But it will be high in alcohol, that's for sure: expectations are between 14.5 and 15%.

Does that also mean blockbusters without finesse? Fortunately not, and it is here that we look at current technology with a sigh of relief. To determine the best picking moment, satellite images accurate to one square meter are used. They ensure that only the best grapes reach the vats, via a sugar bath, optical sorting, and gentler destemming.

In the cellars, many winemakers have also moved away from too many new and small oak barrels in recent years. The trend of amphorae is increasingly taking hold, making wines juicier and more balanced. Good news for those who want to enjoy a good bottle of Bordeaux shortly after the vintage.

I think we will remember 2022 as a fairly concentrated year, with small volumes but also a slight lack of acidity. A vintage in which each winemaker decides how to tackle that challenge, often resulting in very youthful and intensely fruity wines.

Bad vintages don't exist; there are only bad intentions and ways to ruin a good wine.
François Despagne, Grand Corbin Despagne

Classification

For my final point, I want to talk about classification. Few know it, but in Saint-Émilion, as a winemaker, you get the chance to prove yourself in tastings every ten years, and thus climb higher up the ladder. It is the only region in the world that does this. I think it's great that an estate can grow.

Specifically, you have to prove that you are a good winemaker in a blind tasting by submitting your last ten vintages. If you do well, you can pin one of these badges on your sleeve: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Émilion 1er Grand Cru Classé, and if you've done astonishingly well: Saint-Émilion 1er Grand Cru Classé 'A'.

To be on the lowest step, a minimum score of 14/20 during the tasting is sufficient, plus a location within the traditional zone. If you want to compete with the very best and become Grand Cru Classé, you need to score 16/20.

But now comes the point where additional rules come into play. The tasting only counts for half:

Thus, it can perfectly happen that a wine estate passes with flying colors during tasting, but still does not achieve classification because the other factors are not in order: parking, tourism, international reputation.

For those who are already at the top and enjoy international fame, that position is easily maintainable. Yet some felt the heat and opted out of the classification. Angélus, Ausone, and Cheval Blanc are just some of the big names who chose not to be included anymore.

What once started as a system that rewarded good work has become more of a lobby to sell bottles at high prices. So, just like in any other region, it is mainly up to us to taste every wine, learn its story, and inform you, the customer, sufficiently so that you don't fall into the trap and make a bad purchase.

Discover, taste, and above all, continue to enjoy Saint-Émilion. It is a region rooted in tradition, but one that clearly understands that the future is within reach for those willing to invest in quality and sustainability.