significant crop losses for some vignerons caught in its pathway. At Château Phélan Ségur, it wiped out a few prized cabernet sauvignon vineyards and, as a consequence, its 2022 vintage comprises an unusually high percentage of merlot – 56%. Although the left bank is associated with free-draining gravelly soils, the older vines, with their deep roots anchored in heavier moisture-holding clays, ultimately performed really well. Pessac-Léognan, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe all triumphed over the extreme challenges of the season. The right bank in Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and outlying satellite sub-regions, with their heavier limestone and clay soils, also excelled despite the heat and drought conditions. Typically, there are always one or two sub-regions that outperform others, but the homogeneity of the 2022 growing season across the entire Bordeaux wine region has resulted in a very uniform year, notwithstanding the individuality of vineyard plots and terroirs. Many vignerons in the region commented on the verdant and healthy conditions of the vineyards during the summer. Although some vineyard managers sprayed their vines with chalk/clay sunscreen applications to protect bunches from sunburn, many vignerons nurtured the vines through meticulous canopy management. Cover cropping and mulching between vine rows also helped keep soils in a healthy condition and reduce evaporation. The increasing use of regenerative agriculture and
The Vintage Journal – International Series Place la Bourse, Bordeaux
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