Figeac - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2022

Alexandre Ma

100

byAlexandre Mathe3/10/2025

The 2022 vintage once again cements the legendary legacy of Château Figeac through its hallmark blending artistry. Typically, wineries that upgrade their winemaking facilities need time to adjust, but Château Figeac has achieved a seamless transition. To me, this wine is like a dazzling diamond, refracting the purest fruit aromas into radiant brilliance. Waves of bayberry and jujube flood the palate, leaving behind the rich allure of toffee in the finish. Its velvety tannins are exceptional, delivering a dense and plush texture without a single unnecessary embellishment. High-alcohol vintages often carry a hint of heat, but even with a magnifying glass, you won’t find a trace of it here. The 2022 Figeac combines the concentration of 2005, the luminosity of 2019, and the enigmatic allure of 2016. With time, it may well become the greatest vintage in Château Figeac’s history. Encountering this wine is a rare privilege—embrace it, cherish it, and let it take you on an unforgettable journey of enjoyment.

Wine Advocate

100

byWilliam Kelleythe3/7/2025

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?

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

98

byJane Ansonthe3/7/2025

Velvety texture to tannins even at this early stage, showing the purity and finesse of Figeac, coupled with an expansion through the mid palate, a great vintage with damson, smoked plum, bitter cocoa bean, orange peel, lemon zest, black tea and liquorice. Juicy finish with oyster shell salinity, this clearly has decades ahead of it. 100% new oak. Harvest September 1 to 26 September. First year with Premier Grand Cru Classé A on the label, happily coinciding with such an exceptionally friendly vintage. Frederic Faye director.

Decanter.com

100

byGeorgina Hindlethe3/7/2025

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...

The Wine Cellar Insider

99

byJeff Levethe3/4/2025

Figeac, Château

Jeb DUNNUCK

100

byJeb Dunnuckthe2/28/2025

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.

Yvesbeck.wine

100

byYves Beckthe2/25/2025

Que de détails, de pluralité dans le bouquet de Figeac 2022. Ses nombreuses facettes ont pour point commun richesse et profondeur. Ainsi, il révèle des notes de graphite, de feuilles de thé et de groseilles suivies d'élégantes nuances boisées qui consolident la profondeur olfactive. En bouche, le vin est imposant tant par sa densité que sa finesse. Il est certes puissant, mais il ne bascule pas dans l'exubérance. Il est porté par des tannins charnus, veloutés et compacts qui soulignent les perspectives de garde, tandis qu'une fine austérité plébiscite fraîcheur et persistance. Un vin crémeux, dense, caressant, harmonieux et emballant grâce à ses côtés salivants, presque salins, en fin de bouche. C'est ça la magie de ce millésime, du terroir de Figeac et du travail engagé des femmes et des hommes qui le créent, années après années. Des ressources improbables ont une fois de plus pu être identifiées, cristallisées et concrétisées ! 2028-2060 100/100

Vinous

98

byNeal Martinthe2/12/2025

The 2022 Figeac, bottled on July 20th, has an intense nose that, as I observed out of barrel, leans more toward the Left than Right Bank, despite a slightly lower percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. It has wonderful delineation with black fruit, pine and a light graphite note that runs through from start to finish. A touch of incense emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. It is still firmly on the Left Bank stylistically, with gentle grip and a stony aftertaste. The fruit will come back with bottle age, which you can see by comparing tastings in late November 2024 and then at the end of January 2025.

Jamessuckling.com

99

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2025

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.

Vinous

98

byAntonio Gallonithe1/28/2025

A towering, statuesque Saint-Émilion, the 2022 Figeac is positively stellar. What a wine. The 2022 was bottled at the end of July 2023, a bit late by current standards, so it is a bit reticent. What impresses most is the wine's total integration and balance. All the elements are in the right places. Time in the glass brings out some of the floral qualities of the Cabernets, but this is a wine readers should not be thinking of opening anytime soon. Power and finesse—it's all there.

Wine Maniacs

97-98

byLin Liuthe5/30/2023

Decanter.com

98-100

byGeorgina Hindlethe5/25/2023

An incredibly impressive wine in 2022 shaping up to be the wine of the vintage not only as it seems to defy the hot and dry conditions in every way but delivers such confidence and charm it makes it hard to resist. Gorgeous aromatic expression on the nose, open and alive, generous scents of bright bramble fruit and floral notes as well as 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 there’s still depth, weight and power 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.

Alexandre Ma

98-99

byAlexandre Mathe5/17/2023

Château Figeac 2022 has crafted another legendary tale with its signature blend. Typically, wineries that have recently updated their cellar require a subsequent vintages to fine-tune; however, Château Figeac has achieved seamless continuity. To me, this wine resembles a dazzling diamond, reflecting the purest fruit aromas through its radiation. Abundant flavors of waxberries and sour jujubes engulf the palate, with hints of toffee lingering towards the finish. The velvety tannins are nothing short of exceptional, leaving no trace of the hot vintage. This wine conjures up memories of Château Figeac 2005, and after bottel aging, it may prove even more captivating than its predecessor.

Vinous

97-99

byNeal Martinthe5/17/2023

The 2022 Figeac was picked between 1-26 September with the 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 with 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".

The Vintage Journal

98-99

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2023

Deep Crimson. Sesame, cedar, blackcurrant, dark plum, strawberry aromas with aniseed notes. Beautifully concentrated and supple wine iwth abundant blackcurrant, cedar flavours, lovely chocoaty cedary textures, superb fruit sweetness/ density, and persistent mineral/ saline acidity. Some bitter sweet notes at the finish. Beautifully balanced wine. 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc 31% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% alc

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

98

byJane Ansonthe5/16/2023

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, cappucino 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 new winery. Frederic Faye director.

matthewjukes.com

19,5

byMatthew Jukesthe5/15/2023

The Wine Independent

97-99

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/15/2023

A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is deep garnet-purple in color. It rolls out of the glass with eager-to-please scents of juicy blackberries, plum preserves, and warm cassis, followed by hints of cardamom, chocolate mint, and cumin seed with fragrant wafts of rose oil and violets. The concentrated, medium to full-bodied palate is simply electric, shimmering with red and black fruit layers and loads of mineral and floral sparks, framed by firm, grainy tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and energetic. This is so vibrant it tingles on the palate! pH 3.70.

Yvesbeck.wine

98-100

byYves Beckthe5/10/2023

Très belle synergie entre le fruit, l'élevage et la fraîcheur dans le bouquet de Figeac 2022. La fraîcheur, par exemple, par des notes florales , mais aussi par des nuances de garrigues, je dirais même du végétal mûr ! Le fruit avec des notes de cassis et de cerises, puis l'élevage avec de subtiles nuances boisées. En bouche, le vin se distingue par une exceptionnelle harmonie. On n'a pas été forcément chercher la richesse, qui est de toute manière présente, mais bien plus la structure, le tonus, l'énergie que l'on trouve dans Figeac 2022, surtout en fin de bouche. Les tannins se révèlent lentement, à partir du milieu du palais pour atteindre leur amplitude en fin de bouche. Ils confèrent de la puissance, mais également de la sérénité, une sorte de force tranquille. Très belle symbiose entre tous les éléments présents, de l'attaque jusqu'à la finale où apparait une rafraîchissante salinité. Un vin vibrant, cristallin, précis, vif, ample et apte à défier les décennies à venir.

Bettane & Desseauve

97-98

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/10/2023

Parfaite maturité des 31 % de cabernet-sauvignon et des 34 % de cabernet franc. Architecture de bouche monumentale et expression toute en rebonds sur des touches florales et salines d’une persistance lançant le cru vers un avenir radieux. 35 % de merlot donne une touche caressante. Ce figeac pourrait rejoindre les sommets du millésime dans les prochaines années.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96-98

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/10/2023

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 as well as remarkable freshness and purity in its black and blue fruits, which are followed by notes of wild herbs, chocolate, graphite, spring flowers, and a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon graphite. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This classic, ultra-precise Figeac is going to warrant a solid decade of bottle age and be very long-lived given its purity and balance. 96-98+

Vinous

96-99

byAntonio Gallonithe5/9/2023

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 that are not often found here, planted approximately with equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking window : 2032-2052

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100

byJeff Levethe5/5/2023

It takes nothing to sense all the intensity, freshness, and depth here. But, more importantly, it is the character. The wine is sensuous, sultry, and lively. The fruits are drenched in cashmere, and velvet that caresses your palate. The levels of depth, richness, opulence, and vibrancy must be felt to be believed. The finish, with its seemingly endless waves of black, blue, and red fruits, with their natural spiciness and purity is off the hook. The seamless finish looks at the 60 second mark, and keeps on going! This is the first vintage for Chateau Figeac as Premier Cru Classe A. With this wine, it is clear they deserve it. The wine blends 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon. 8% Press wine. 14% ABV, 3.7 pH. Picking took place September 1 - September 26. This is the earliest harvest in the history of Figeac. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2065.

Wine Advocate

98-100

byWilliam Kelleythe5/2/2023

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, 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. Congratulations are in order for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.

Jamessuckling.com

97-98

byJames Sucklingthe4/19/2023

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.