Expert Reveals Bordeaux 2022 Vintage Cellar Essentials (and they are exquisite!)

There are Bordeaux drops and then there are Bordeaux moments. This is the latter. The 2022 vintage has arrived through LANGTONS with depth across communes and enough quality to satisfy both the curious and the die-hard.

Here is your guide to what deserves a place in the cellar, and in years to come, your dining table.

1. Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2022, Graves, $110

The story of the legendary white of Château Carbonnieux Blanc (Graves, $110) stretches back to the 18th century when, thanks to its crystal clarity, it was introduced to the Sultan of Constantinople’s palace disguised as ‘mineral water from Carbonnieux. Today, the wine retains that luminous freshness in youth but develops dried and candied fruit characters with maturity, making it one of the most versatile whites in the region. This is a wine that can be drunk now through to 2029, so not a long termer.

2. Château Figeac 2022, St-Émilion, $850

If Carbonnieux speaks of crystalline youth, Château Figeac (St-Émilion, $850) speaks of longevity. Few estates can match its claim to 2000 years of continuous occupation, and the 2022 vintage bears that gravitas. Deeply garnet in colour, Cabernet Sauvignon shines here with notes of blackcurrant, blueberry, lilac, tobacco and bay leaf. On the palate, the wine is elegant and mineral, yet vibrantly alive. It’s a stunning effort that will reward those with patience – I’d suggest drinking from 2034–2060. It’s a great investment wine given Figeac’s ascent, too.

3. Château Gazin 2022, Pomerol, $235

In Pomerol, the quiet achiever is Château Gazin ($235), whose neighbours happen to be Petrus and L’Evangile. The 2022 shows deep crimson colour, with aromas of violet, musky plum, roasted chestnut and mocha. Classically proportioned, it offers a palate of ripe black fruits, chalky tannins and mid-palate depth that places it among the appellation’s most compelling releases. This wine sees its best drinking between 2029 and 2040.

4. Château Palmer 2022, Margaux, $1,050

Further south in Margaux, Château Palmer ($1,050) continues its reputation as a ‘Super Second’, officially ranked a Third Growth but revered as the equal of the First Growths. The 2022 is abundant in blackberry jam, chocolate, lavender and smoke, a wine of sheer extract and richness with remarkable intensity. It is best from 2035 and should be showing nicely to 2065. It’s a wine nipping at the heels of the Firsts and a wonderful investment opportunity.”

5. Château Haut-Bailly 2022, Pessac-Léognan, $415

Another of Bordeaux’s historic properties, Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan, $415), dates to the mid-15th century. Its 2022 vintage shows blackcurrant pastille, violet and graphite, with a refreshing yet dense palate that finishes chalky and minerally. It is incredibly elegant now, so try from 2030–2045 with ease. A wine worth buying 6–12 bottles of to watch this ‘value’ Bordeaux evolve in the cellar over time.

6. Château Pontet-Canet 2022, Pauillac, $330

The Pauillac commune offers two contrasting but equally celebrated estates. Château Pontet-Canet ($330), founded in 1725, is full-bodied and packed with ripe black fruits supported by finely integrated tannins. The wine is remarkably compelling now, but best after 2029 through to 2045. It’s also a hit in the secondary market amongst speculators.

7. Château Lafite-Rothschild 2022, Pauillac, $1,950

Then there is Château Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac, $1,950), perhaps the most recognised name in the Médoc. The 2022 vintage has immense grip and presence, offering loganberry, blueberry, wet stones, and forest floor. For me, this is one of the definitive wines of the vintage. It’s one of the world’s most collected and cellared wines. Best from 2034–2070+ and is a triumph.

8. Château Montrose 2022, St-Estèphe, $595

North in St-Estèphe, Château Montrose ($595) demonstrates why this Second Growth is often regarded as a rival to the First Growths. Ample blackberry, cassis and briary fruits meet velvety tannins and cedar, creating a wine of both richness and precision. The wine is fine, aromatic and worth the investment. Most joy to be extracted from 2033 onwards with a 25-year satisfaction window.

9. Château Suduiraut 2022, Sauternes, $99

The sweet wines of Bordeaux complete the spectrum. Château Suduiraut (Sauternes, $99), a neighbour to d’Yquem, delivers a 2022 that is full of marmalade, saffron, lime and orange zest. Its sweetness is cut with a lifted bitterness that lends focus. This wine is showing beautifully now and best from 2028–2035+.

10. Château Cos d’Estournel 2022, St-Estèphe, $690

Finally, another St-Estèphe giant, Château Cos d’Estournel ($690), speaks with intensity and power. A blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the 2022 is tannic, commanding and built for the long haul like every vintage of Cos.

Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary, has officially launched its voyages into the 21,000-square-kilometre Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.

Designed for just 22 guests, the new vessel positions itself at the high end of wilderness travel, offering quiet, immersive, and attentive experiences with a one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. The focus is on proximity to wildlife and landscape, without the crowds that have made parts of the Amazon feel like tourism has arrived before the welcome mat.

Where Architecture Meets the River

The design direction comes from Milan-based architect Adriana Granato, who has reimagined the boat’s interiors as part gallery, part observatory. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame rainforest scenes that shift hour to hour, and every space holds commissioned artworks by Peruvian artists.

The dining room’s centrepiece, Manto de Escamas de Paiche by Silvana Pestana, uses bronze and clay formations that mirror the scale patterns of the Amazon’s giant fish. Pestana’s works throughout the vessel reference environmental fragility, especially the scars left by illegal gold mining.

In each suite, hand-painted kené textiles by Shipibo-Konibo master artist Deysi Ramírez depict sacred geometry in natural dyes. Cushions by the BENEAI Collective feature 20 unique embroidered compositions, supporting Indigenous women artists and keeping traditional techniques alive in a meaningful, non-performative way.

Wildlife Without the Tame Script

Days on board are structured around early and late river expeditions led by naturalist guides. Guests may encounter pink river dolphins cutting through morning mist, three-toed sloths moving like they’re part of the slow cinema movement, and black caimans appearing at night like something from your childhood nightmares.

The prehistoric hoatzin appears along riverbanks, giant river otters hunt in packs, and scarlet macaws behave like the sky belongs to them. The arapaima — the same fish inspiring Pestana’s artwork — occasionally surfaces like an apparition.

A Regional Culinary Lens

The culinary program is led by a team from Iquitos with deep knowledge of Amazonian produce.

Nightly five-course tasting menus lean into local ingredients rather than performing them. Expect dishes like caramelised plantain with river prawns, hearts of palm with passionfruit, and Peruvian chocolate paired with fruits that would be unpronounceable if you encountered them in a supermarket aisle.

A pisco-led bar menu incorporates regional botanicals, including coca leaf and dragon’s blood resin.

A Model of Conservation-First Tourism

Pure Amazon’s conservation approach goes beyond the familiar “offset and walk away” playbook. Through A&K Philanthropy, the vessel’s operations support Indigenous community-led economic initiatives, including sustainable fibre harvesting and honey production in partnership with Amanatari.

Guests also visit FORMABIAP, a bilingual teacher training program supporting cultural and language preservation across several Indigenous communities. Notably, the program enables young women to continue their education while remaining with their families — a rarity in remote regions.

Low-intensity lighting, heat pump technology, and automated systems reduce disturbance to the reserve’s nocturnal wildlife.

The Experience Itself

Itineraries span three, four, or seven nights. Mornings often begin with quiet exploration along mirrorlike tributaries; afternoons allow for spa treatments or time on the open-air deck. Evenings shift into long dinners and soft-lit river watching as the rainforest begins its nightly soundtrack.

Granato describes the vessel as “a mysterious presence on the water,” its light calibrated to resemble fire glow rather than a foreign object imposing itself on the dark.

It is, in other words, slow travel done with precision.