List. 12 best wines I’ve tried in 2022
As the year 2022 came to a close, it's time to reflect on some of the best wines that I have discovered and enjoyed. The world of wine is vast and constantly evolving, with new wineries and vintages emerging every year, but this was definitely the Champagne year for me! I’ve visited 10 excellent growers in Champagne, explored Mosel to try some of the most exciting Rieslings out there and stopped by Valpolicella to enjoy powerful Amarones. Below you will find my personal list of the top 12 wines that stood out for me in 2022 - not necessarily in order! List could not be just 10 and to be honest, if I were to include every wine I found special and exciting last year the list would be even longer. These wines represent a diverse array of grapes, regions, and styles, but all have one thing in common: they are exceptional examples of their respective categories. Whether you're a seasoned wine enthusiast or just starting to explore the world of wine, this list is sure to have something for everyone.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2015
A beautiful gift from a friend who said that Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a Romanée Conti of Northern Rhône and he was right! Jean-Louis Chave’s wine was vibrant, with intense floral and spice character, leaning more toward black fruits with notes of currants, blackberry, and black cherry. It’s rich, with a solid underlying structure and minerality, but also has smoky and cedar aromas. It’s absolutely age-worthy and you could easily keep it for a few more years.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave wines imports Winoblisko.
Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Alte Reben Reserve Riesling 2020
Dr. Loosen is one of the most acclaimed, world-renowned producers from the Mosel region. Despite the unquestionable fame and considerable scale (more than 30 hectares of vineyards), the quality of wines remains top-notch. Ürziger Würzgarten is a famous parcel, distinguished by its volcanic soil, which is unusual for the region. The 2020 vintage shows citrus aromas with the distinct fragrance of blood orange and pink grapefruit. In the mouth it’s mineral with polished acidity, the finish is long and shows aromas of allspice and white pepper. Still very young to drink.
In Poland these wines are available from Vininova.
Gravner Ribolla Gialla 2010
For the first time I’ve tried Gravner’s wine during the orange wine tasting “maceration” at Kontakt Wino & Bistro. It immediately seduced me with aromas of caramel, black tea, spices, chamomile and peach ice tea. Joško Gravner, who makes wines in Friuli in Italy, focuses on the local ribolla gialla grape, which he vinifies in Georgian amphoras that give relatively high oxygen access and bring out unique aromas. Nearly six months of contact with the skins yields an amber-colored wine - more widely known as “orange”.
Gravner wines are imported by Winoblisko.
De Sousa Umami Cuvée Grand Cru 2012
Absolutely unique champagne that has stolen my heart with a “salty but not salty” umami sensation coming from the yeast autolysis. The mix is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir vinified in oak barrels. To increase the umami sensation in the wine and create more structure during the fermentation in barrels bâtonnage is carried out 4-5 times instead of just one or two. When the wine is already in the bottle it is shaken every year to do a kind of bâtonnage in the bottle to break the amino acid chains to release glutamic acid into the wine. This is a quite rare technique in the Champagne region. The wine is deep and structured, but not heavy, fresh but not acidic - very complex. Umami Cuvée has evolved aromas from lime, honey, and gingerbread, but also raspberry, and cherry. It exudes elegance and floral pleasure along with purity and minerality. Produced only in special warm and heavy years, the first vintage was 2009, now you can find 2012 on the market and the next will be 2018.
De Sousa champagnes do not have an importer in Poland.
Jacquesson Cuvee No. 740 Dégorgement Tardif Extra Brut Champagne
During my trip to the Champagne region, I had the unique opportunity to try Jacquesson wines presented by Jean-Hervé Chiquet, one of the brothers leading the house. Jacquesson claims to be the oldest independent Champagne house in France and its fame grew following the rumor that it was a favorite of Napoleon. No. 740 Dégorgement Tardif Extra Brut Champagne turned out to be my favorite wine from the tasting. It is based on the 2012 harvest and it's a very elegant, fine, and fresh champagne with long aging potential. 2012 winter was cold and long; spring and the beginning of summer were very rainy and the vines suffered from mildew. But a superb end to the growing season resulted in a small harvest of remarkable quality. Wines spent 94 months on the lees, under cork, before their late disgorgement in May 2012. The main advantage of a late disgorgement is that the wine aromatics evolve reminding of old vintages but keeping a great freshness.
In Poland these wines are imported by Winoblisko.
Roagna Pira Barolo 2015
Roagna is a family-owned Piemontese producer based in Barbaresco, particularly known for its Barbaresco Crichët Pajé cuvée, one of the highest-priced wines produced in Italy. During one memorable dinner in the Champagne region, I tasted this bottle blind and instantly knew I was drinking something special. Aromas of forest floor, leather, tobacco and rose petals shape the nose of this fragrant red. In the mouth, it’s polished with refined tannins. The palate is elegant and structured featuring juicy cranberry, cherry, a hint of baking spice and licorice. It’s definitely age-worthy, so I would give it a few more years before opening.
Roagna wines do not have an importer in Poland.
Giuseppe Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2014
Giuseppe Quintarelli is an Italian iconic vineyard located in the heart of the Valpolicella appellation. It is known for its traditional, complex wines with distinctive handwritten labels and by many regarded as the greatest of all Amarone producers. The winery remains family-owned and managed after the death of Giuseppe Quintarelli known as il Maestro del Veneto in 2012. 2014 was a humid and rainy vintage, so many producers in the Valpolicella including Quintarelli decided not to make their top-shelf Amarone wines directing their fruit to Valpolicella Superiore. 2014 is thinner than past vintages, but turned out to be quite elegant which I enjoy. On the palate it’s spicy with hints of tobacco and smoke. It undergoes a partial and brief appassimento and shows typical tart and brambly cherry and red fruit notes expected of the vintage.
Giuseppe Quintarelli does not have an importer in Poland.
David Léclapart L’Aphrodisiaque 2016
David Léclapart is one of Champagne's most famous names today and a promoter of biodynamics. He is cultivating just 3 hectares of vineyard in the village of Trépail in Montagne de Reims famous for Pinot Noir, but working mostly with Chardonnay. Leclapart's champagnes are highly individual, taut yet elegant, with a delicately spicy background. L’Aphrodisiaque 2016 is champagne like no other I’ve tried before. On the nose, you get the vegetable garden sensation, something like peeled carrots. Also some spices, sweet figs – it is very unique, a wine with a great personality.
In Poland Léclapart champagnes are imported by Terroiryści.pl.
Henners Vintage 2016
English sparkling wines are the next big thing and Henners Vintage 2016 is definitely one to try. It is crafted only in exceptional years, when the concentration, ripeness and maturity of fruit promise to deliver an exceptional wine for long aging. A balanced blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir delivers structure and freshness, as well as depth and great roundness on the palate. 4 years on lees create deliciously biscuity, creamy, hazelnut aromas with the right acidity and a hint of salt at the finish. The vibrant mouth offers also ripe yellow apple, lemon peel and grapefruit notes.
In Poland Henners champagnes are imported by Anka Wines.
Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto 2019
Cantina Bartolo Mascarello is a revered wine producer based in Piedmont in Italy, particularly known for its traditionally-made Barolo wines. After Bartolo Mascarello’s death in 2005, his daughter Maria-Teresa Mascarello took over and elevated the wines with even more refined aromatics and elegance across the range. I bought Mascarello’s Dolcetto by chance at a wine shop in Alba just because another client didn’t pick up his bottle. It’s a rare Dolcetto that benefits from further aging, so worth adding to your collection! On the nose, it has aromas of ripe black cherry with hints of spices, like anise and licorice, vanilla and almond notes. On the palate, it is dry with moderate acidity and firm tannins, with flavors of dark fruit and a subtle earthiness. The finish is long and elegant.
Agrapart & Fils Venus Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature Millesime
Vintage champagne comes from a 30-acre parcel in Les Fosses in Avize. The parcel is worked with horse only, and the vines were planted in 1959. The fermentation process uses natural yeasts and includes malolactic fermentation without dosage. The wine was first vinified separately in 2001 and was given the name "Venus", which is the name of the horse. The champagne has smoky and intense flavors, it is complex with a persistent taste. It has a light greenish-yellow color with silver reflections and a fine, persistent mousse. Toasty notes, white stone fruit nuances, chalky minerality, and a hint of blossom honey. The champagne is full-bodied, powerful, and has a hint of ground hazelnut and ripe peach. It’s wonderfully Burgundian!
Pascal Douquet Champ D’Alouettes Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger Grand Cru 2004
This unique wine is not available on the market yet, I had the pleasure to try it during the visit at Pascal’s home. It has spent 15 years on the lees, so you can imagine the whole range of biscuity and nutty aromas taking the center stage. It was disgorged in 2021. From a single plot Champ D’alouettes in Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger. Malolactic fermentation was blocked and the dosage is 3g/l. It is meant to become the cuvée prestige from Pascal Doquet. Initially quite balsamic and shy it took over notes of honey, bee wax, almonds. On the palate it was very vinous, exuberant and the time subdued the piercing acidity but there is still plenty left. Robust and complex. The finish is very long. A show stopper.