Chateau Figeac Premier Grand Cru Classe A, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2022

A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is a brilliant wine with which to celebrate this property’s elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé A status. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, and cassis mingled with notions of iris, forest floor, cigar wrapper and pencil lead, it’s medium to full-bodied, pure and perfumed, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. 

Serious yet civilized, it’s the quintessential Figeac, a testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt’s vision to plant a large proportion of Cabernet on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac’s terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Congratulations are for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.

Vibrant damson in colour, edges of gunsmoke and red rose petals on the aromatics, as you so often find in Figeac, with dense cassis, black cherry, incense, graphite, slate, mint leaf, cocoa bean, cappuccino and liquorice on the palate. This is creamy but airy and full of joy. 

Close to the 2016 vintage in its construction and effortless confidence, no question of the ageing ability of this wine, and a fine vintage to mark the first year as Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Breaking down how they got here, you find inevitably careful winemaking with no pumping over, cool 26C for fermentation, making use of techniques learnt in the hot, dry summer of 2018, from cover crops to minimum green harvesting. 

Blend finished including 8% press in March, 3.7ph, harvest began September 1, earliest on record, until 26, second vintage in the new winery.

Drink 2032 - 2050

An incredibly impressive wine in 2022, shaping up to be the wine of the vintage, as it seems to defy the hot and dry conditions in every way but delivers such confidence and charm that it makes it hard to resist. Gorgeous aromatic expression on the nose, open and alive, generous scents of bright bramble fruit, floral notes, and graphite and cedar.

Smooth, supple and generous on the palate, tannins are silky and perfectly weighted, giving roundness but also structure with a red berry juiciness and saline bite that is so compelling. Vibrant, dynamic, balanced and precise, the energy is outstanding, yet depth, weight and power are still underneath. There’s not a single thing out of place - utterly seductive and totally moreish. 

A great effort from the estate now proudly displaying their upgrade to St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A for the first time as of the new classification. 3.7pH. 8% press wine. 82% grand vin production. Harvest 1 - 26 September, the earliest ever.

Drink 2039 - 2050

This is the earliest-ever harvest for Figeac, and the fruit is something else. Flowers such as violets. Blackberries. Currants. Cherry blossom. Full-bodied with lovely freshness and depth. Crunchy and juicy. Perfect al dente fruit. 35% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon.

The 2022 Figeac was picked between 1-26 September with a pH of 3.7 and 14% alcohol. This wine combines both Left Bank and Right Bank traits due to its blend as usual), but this year leans more to the Right Bank despite a slightly lower contribution of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is very well defined, fresh and shows lively black fruit, incense and nuanced Chinese tea aromas. 

The palate is beautifully balanced with a lightly spiced entry, fine depth and plenty of concentration counterbalanced by finesse toward the graphite-infused finish. Its saline aftertaste beckons you back for another sip. An appropriate way to start your tenure as a Grand Cru Classé “A”.

Drink 2032 - 2070

A beautiful wine that, shockingly, reminds me of the 2016, the 2022 Château Figeac checks in as 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested from the 1st of September to the 25th. Director Frédéric Faye commented that verasion took longer than usual, and they had to do a slight green harvest to get uniform ripeness. The results are stunning. 

The wine has a vivid purple hue and remarkable freshness and purity in its black and blue fruits, followed by notes of wild herbs, chocolate, graphite, spring flowers, and a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon graphite. It is medium to full-bodied on the palate and has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. 

Given its purity and balance, this classic, ultra-precise Figeac will warrant a solid decade of bottle age and be very long-lived.

The 2022 Figeac is a magnificent, super-classic Figeac, as odd as that might sound in this freakish vintage. A wine of sublime delicacy and nuance, the 2022 possesses tremendous aromatic presence, finely sculpted fruit and phenomenal persistence. I especially admire the wine’s freshness, energy and clean, mineral finish. 

The 2022 is a towering Figeac, a wine that brilliantly showcases the unique qualities of this site. Figeac is a rare Right Bank estate with gravel and blue clay soils not often found here, planted approximately with equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Drink 2032 - 2052