2022 - Figeac, Saint-Emilion

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?

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%.

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.

The 2022 Figeac has impressive purity on the nose, a mixture of red and black fruit, black truffle and a light estuarine scent. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, silky smooth with black plum and blueberry on the creamy-textured, seductive finish. This bottle came across as more modern in style compared with previous ones, but it is patently well crafted and it will meliorate with bottle age. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample.A signature Figeac, the Cabernet coming through on the nose and palate. Floral, cassis and graphite notes. Plenty of energy, the fruit juicy and rich but not excessive. Ripe, abundant tannins behind. Long, persistent finish. Just a hint of oak in the background. (JL)