Rhône 2022 – northern whites

Alistair Cooper with hermitage hill in the background

Overall, a good vintage for whites in the northern Rhône, particularly in Hermitage. Above, our intrepid reporter on his morning run, with the Hermitage hill in the background. See this guide to all our coverage of 2022 in the Rhône Valley.

The 2022 Rhône whites are wines of richness, texture, weight and power – yet, despite the vintage’s warmth, they are on the whole not overly alcoholic.

Starting in the north, in Condrieu (see map here), the wines tend to be big, rich and powerful and occasionally just a little flabby. As Viognier can accumulate sugars extremely quickly, harvest...