Figeac St-Emilion 2022

100 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "The 2022 Figeac is one of the wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with hints of violet, pencil lead, mint and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with striking intensity and sweetness of fruit married with unerring precision and energy, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Abundant but exquisitely filigreed tannins lend a sense of classicism and proportion to a wine that might otherwise be flamboyant. As I wrote from barrel, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and 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. Could the result be a contemporary version of the estate's magical 1949? Drink: 2030-2065. (3/6/25)"

100 points Jeb Dunnuck: "An absolute legend of a wine, the 2022 Château Figeac is based on 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that saw malolactic in barrel and 18 months in new barrels. This deep purple-hued beauty offers incredible cassis, spring flowers, crushed stone, graphite, and subtle tobacco notes to go with a full-bodied, ultra-pure, fine, seamless style on the palate. It's so rare to find a wine that can deliver this level of richness and intensity with no sensation of weight, as well as an incredible sense of finesse and elegance. It reminds me of a slightly more concentrated version of the 2016. Hide bottles for a decade if you can and enjoy over the following 40 years or so. Drink: 2035-2075. (2/27/25)"

100 points Wine Enthusiast: "A grandiose, beautifully perfumed wine with a textured richness, this is the first vintage from this producer to show the top Saint-Emilion appellation. The fruit of many years of meticulous work at the estate, the wine has a spicy chocolate aroma and powerful, dense tannins. The wine's black fruits and succulence are deeply impressive and promise great aging. Drink from 2029. (Oct 2025)"

100 points Georgie Hindle (Decanter): "This wowed during Primeurs and it has maintained its promise now it's been bottled. Gloriously alive with a beautifully expressive nose - dark fruit, liquorice and floral scents. The energy on the palate is incredible - this pulses with life given the high acidity and juicy red berry fruit but this also has a touch of creaminess alongside softly fleshy tannins that give the weight and structure. There's power and concentration but almost hidden underneath the cooling freshness and such charming texture. Effortless winemaking on show, taking the best of the vintage in terms of ripeness but delivering a seriously sophisticated expression that is just so moreish. I love it. A perfect wine. Drink: 2028-2050. (12/14/24)"

99 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "From the earliest harvest in well over a century of ownership by the Manoncourt family, this is a blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 100% new oak for the élevage. The aromatics here are divine, with dark black saline fruits, with a little powdered chalk, as well as gorse flowers and toasted pip. The palate is divine, very broad and complete, filled with saline black cherry, currant, juicy liquorice and black olive, with a base of toast, coffee bean and black pepper, laid over a bed of toasted tannins which follow through into the finish to produce a rich, tannin-infused length. This is an astonishingly strong effort, those tannins so confident but so well-knit, with wonderful harmony and a huge presence from the finessed texture and rich layers of dark fruits. A truly great Figeac which will be stunning ten or twenty years from now (although I can see it aging for well over fifty years and longer). Stunning. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%. From my Bordeaux 2022 assessment at two years. (Dec 2024)"

99 points Zekun Shuai (JamesSuckling.com): "Deep nose with graphite, gravel, dark hazelnut chocolate, blackberries, blueberries and truffles. Really taut and tense on the palate with fresh, vibrating tannins and a very long, chalky finish. Compact. 35% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Lots of vibrancy and muscled tension here from an extremely hot and dry year. Drink from 2029 when the wood spices get more integrated. (1/9/25)"

99 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, aromas of ripe black plum, dark cherry, underpinned with nuances of cassis and tobacco, a touch of candied tangerine zest, and delicate fine oak. The palate is juicy and elegant with polished tannins, fine acidity, and notes of ripe cherry, and blackcurrant fruit with a citric, saline minerality on the lengthy finish. Definite ageing potential. (2023)"