Le Seuil de Mazeyres 2022

The 2022 vintage: A vintage of extremes. Winter was cold in January, but February and March were particularly mild, leading to early budbreak. Frosts in late March and early April, with many days of severe cold, caused some damage in places. The vintage was exceptionally hot and dry starting in May. Mid-bloom, which was rapid and uniform, occurred around May 20. The first heat wave arrived particularly early, in mid-June, just as the grapes were swelling, resulting in small berries. Two more periods of intense heat followed in the second half of July and then in early August. During the summer, a severe drought set in, delaying veraison on some plots. On September 1, the very early harvest (nearly breaking the 2011 record of August 31) began under sunny skies. Cool nights helped preserve the grapes’ fruity character. The small berry size and the high tannin content in the skins are hallmarks of this vintage. We took great care to maintain a balance between the richness and quality of the tannins and the freshness that has become the hallmark of the wines from the “ Château Mazeyres.” While the quality is excellent—with reasonable alcohol levels, beautiful acidity, and tannins that are present yet smooth—the lack of water prevented us from achieving the harvest volume we had anticipated after flowering.