2022 Red Wines at Burgfest: The Quickfire Verdict

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21/09/2026

On 21/09/2026

Burgundy 2022 red wines are exceptional. After tasting nearly 300 of them blind at Burgfest, as part of a panel of 14 tasters, our verdict is that 2022 may be the best vintage of our times, certainly up there with 2010 and 1999. Here is the quickfire version.

Key takeaways

Quality: potentially the best vintage of our times, on a par with 2010 and 1999.
Consistency: the group’s average score across all wines was significantly ahead of any vintage back to 2015.
Top wines: 100/100 for Romanee St Vivant, Domaine Hudelot-Noellat, and Musigny, Domaine de la Vougeraie.

Burgfest 2022 Reds: The Full Q&A

So, you’ve been off in France again?

Yes! Just back from the Burgfest tasting. 2022 vintage red wines, tasted blind. Nearly 300 of them.

I’m meant to be impressed…?

Errr, yeah, I get it. Another week in Burgundy, tasting smart wines. Tough gig!

I was impressed, though. Seriously impressed. Maybe the ‘best vintage of our times’ sort of level; certainly up there with 2010 and 1999.

Admittedly, the ears are starting to prick up but this does sound kinda familiar. Convince me!

Look, I think the cynicism’s legitimate and the hype machine’s been in overdrive for too long, especially in the Côte d’Or. Remember, though, this is a blind tasting: we don’t have sight of the labels and big guns, like Domaine Armand Rousseau, are in the mix with relative minnows. The average bar, across the board, has got to be pretty high to elicit this degree of enthusiasm and that’s precisely what 2022 delivered. Not only were the peaks truly outstanding – I’ve never given so many high scores – but the average quality level out-performed.

At the end of the tasting, the group’s average score for all wines was significantly ahead of that for any vintage back to 2015.

You keep referencing ‘the group’; you lot know your onions then?

I think you can say that. 14 tasters. Importers, buyers from specialist merchants, Masters of Wine, some who’ve actually made wine in Burgundy, critics including Neal Martin and Jasper Morris MW.

And you experts were seduced by the ripe and solar 2022s?!

Look, that’s kind of the point. I went in expecting something along the lines of, “really great wine, ripe and concentrated, but still holds freshness.” What I got was more like, “outstanding wine” with no qualification. These 2022s hold their own and don’t require excuses!

OK, I’m starting to see the light. You’re saying this is a shooting-fish-in-a-barrel no downside vintage?

…not quite…this is Burgundy, after all, and Pinot Noir! I was bothered by the amount of brett I found. It’s kind of a leathery, sweaty character that obscures a wine’s fruit and vineyard character. You can read the notes and navigate easily to the successful wines but it’s a real shame to have potential greatness torpedoed by faults like this. It’s too technical to get deep into here but I’ll cover it in the main report.

The other downside was the bottle of Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques, smashed in my suitcase by baggage handlers on the flight over. That was a bit of a choker!

Urrggghhh, I guess I’ll have to read those notes then. To balance things out, can you flag a couple of positives?

Volnay had the most convincing showing in some years. It’s felt that global warming’s been unkind to the very transparent, filigree style of the wines but the 2022s suggested producers are now getting to grips with how to contend with the new climate. Ditto Chambolle-Musigny, where some of the less prestigious 1er Crus were simply gorgeous in ’22.

Further up the ladder, I absolutely loved Clos St Denis and felt Charmes-Chambertin / Mazoyères-Chambertin was a pretty fertile hunting ground for quality. The top wines of Vosne-Romanée were spellbinding.

To close: care to share your top wines?

I’ve only ever given one perfect score to a red Burgundy before: Musigny 2016 from Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier. At this tasting I doubled that total: 100/100 for both Romanee St Vivant, Domaine Hudelot-Noellat and Musigny, Domaine de la Vougeraie.