St-Joseph: Revisiting 2022 in bottle

When it comes to extreme vintages, I’m pretty circumspect. I was never a great fan of wines from 2003, which was an exceptionally hot and dry year. But a recent tasting of 50 2022 St-Josephs painted a picture of a surprisingly strong vintage despite an even more severe growing season than 2003. In 2003, winemakers didn’t know how to react to the extreme heat. But 2022 came after a succession of roasting years, during which winemakers honed their methods. This time, they were ready. Scroll down for notes and scores for 2022 St-Joseph in bottle [subscriber-content] Record-breaking extremes To describe the weather as extreme in 2022 is no exaggeration. A weather station in Orange recorded the hottest May on record. It counted 37 days when temperatures reached over 35°C – only 2003 saw more. And it wasn’t just the days that were sweltering; average nighttime temperatures were the hottest ever recorded. It was also exceptionally dry. Between 15 October 2021 and 1 September 2022, only 300mm of rain was recorded – compared to 600mm in a normal year. In summary, between budbreak and harvest, 2022 was the hottest, driest year in the Rhône since records began in 1950. Easy for growers [caption id="attachment_555132" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Graeme and Julie Bott of Domaine Bott. Credit: BOTT GRAEME & JULIE[/caption] Conditions like this were felt throughout the Rhône Valley, and St-Joseph was no different. For winemakers, it made for a relaxed year. ‘It was easy to manage in the vineyard,’ says Ludovic Izerable of Domaine Lionnet, who has vineyards in the southern part of the appellation near Cornas. Graeme Bott of Domaine Bott, located at the northern end of St-Joseph, agreed. ‘There was no water for downy mildew to be an issue and it was too hot for powdery mildew to be an issue either,’ he says, ‘Work overall in the vineyards was quite straightforward and it was one of the years which required a lower amount of manpower due to the slower development of the vines.’ Tough on vines The harsh conditions were tough on the vines, however. Growth was stunted due to the heat and drought, and young vines struggled. Damien Brisset, head winemaker at Ferraton, says, ‘we had to adapt by practicing minimalist viticulture – no leaf plucking, no trimming the canopy – and also by regulating the crop load in some plots through green harvesting, to limit blockages in ripening during August and September.’ Winemakers also had to modify the way they worked in the cellar. ‘We chose to use a higher than normal percentage of whole bunches in the reds and worked the wines with just one short pump over per day,’ says Bott. Brisset also opted for, ‘the gentlest possible extractions’. [caption id="attachment_555101" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Fabrice Gripa in Le Paradis vineyard in St-Joseph. Credit: Matt Walls[/caption] Powerful reds When I tasted the 2022 red St-Josephs from barrel, there was significant stylistic variation – most had the power you would expect from such a year, but some were surprisingly lean due to blockages in ripening due to heat and drought. After some time in bottle, this is still the case; some are light, aromatic and best drunk young. But most are in the other camp – powerful, densely tannic, darkly fruited. So it’s a vintage with something for everyone. Inevitably, some of the wines were less exciting. This was usually down to uneven or blocked ripening resulting in a green, bitter streak or a lack of depth. Some were very reductive; others were over-oaked. But largely, 2022 is a very good vintage for St-Joseph reds – one with energy, intensity and serious tannic structure. Intense whites The whites broadly share this drive and concentration, with plenty of extract and salinity. Oak can help accentuate this, but it wasn’t always needed in 2022 thanks to the natural intensity of the fruit. In hot vintages, whites can be prone to flabbiness – such as in 2018. But sometimes the effect is to accentuate their intensity and salinity, such as 2010 and 2017 – and 2022. Bott was happy with both colours. ‘It is a very good vintage for both whites and reds which is not always the case,' he says. 'I think the reason being is that with the heat and lack of rain during the last ripening period the grapes reduced in size and concentrated both sugar and acidity, similar to 2019 in Burgundy, so we actually kept reasonable acidity levels considering the vintage.’ Wines for ageing After a year or so in bottle, usually I would expect most St-Josephs to be ready to start drinking, but most 2022s need another couple of years in bottle to soften. They will have unusual longevity too – typically around 10 years, but some will go on to mature and develop for 20. Be aware that the more structured wines are likely to feel quite hard and serious in youth. It’s a vintage that will really blossom in time. So if you enjoy the smoky complexity of aged northern Rhône Syrah, 2022 St-Joseph will prove a particularly cost effective way of stocking your cellar. Some of the whites will prove deliciously long-lasting too. ‘If we compare statistics, 2022 would be similar to 2003, however it was not at all the same style of wine produced,’ says Bott, ‘much lower alcohol levels and more balanced ripeness.’ In 2003, no one had experienced such heat and drought before, so it caught winemakers by surprise, many of them were still on holiday when they needed to start picking. In 2022, they were prepared – and the results are so much better. [/subscriber-content] St-Joseph 2022: The wines to try [wine-collection] Related articles Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Revisiting 2020 in bottle Walls: Rasteau 2020 in bottle Walls: Côte-Rôtie 2019 in bottle

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St-Joseph: Revisiting 2022 in bottle

Scroll down for notes and scores for 2022 St-Joseph in bottle

St-Joseph 2022: The wines to try

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