DIFFERENT SHADES OF WHITE BURGUNDY

The 2022 vintage is a classic, with the elite wines joined by more affordable versions from nearby terroirs. The early 2023s, meanwhile, make for good drinking in the near-term

- BY BRUCE SANDERSON

The 2022 vintage in Burgundy is one of the region's best recent years, not only in terms of quality and quantity, but also because it was successful for both white and red wines.

There are a dozen wines rating a classic 96 to 98 points, plus an additional eight white Burgundies earning 95-point scores. Fresh, vibrant, balanced and intense, the top wines deliver plenty of ripe orchard fruit, citrus, floral and mineral flavors, wrapped in a youthful embrace of new oak notes of butterscotch, vanilla, pastry and baking spices.

Not surprisingly though, white Burgundy lovers will have to pay more for their favorite whites from Chassagne, Puligny and Meursault, particularly among the highest-scoring wines. Among my tastings over the past year, more red Burgundies than whites cost $500 or more, but 16 of 20 of the most expensive Burgundies I reviewed are whites. One reason is that white Burgundy is produced in much smaller volumes than red Burgundy: While 40% of the Côte de Beaune production is white, that number falls to 10% in the Côte de Nuits. And global demand continues to be strong.

The highest-rated white in this report is Domaine Leflaive's Chevalier-Montrachet 2022 (98, $3,061). This luscious, creamy white is also tense and bracing, laced with floral, peach, apricot, citronella and mineral flavors. Close behind are three other 2022 offerings from Leflaive: Its focused, intense Bâtard-Montrachet (97, $2,869); the racy Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet (96, $2,343), offering finesse rather than power; and the Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon (96, $520), creamy and complex (and a wine which, to my palate, continues to improve vintage after vintage).