James Suckling vis-à-vis Wine Spectator

We chose not to propose James Suckling vs. Wine Spectator, albeit both publish a Top 100 Wine List of the Year. An occasional face-to-face aside, James Suckling and Wine Spectator have a complicated relationship, definitely not characterized as mere competitors.

James Suckling was the wine critic at Wine Spectator for nearly 30 years. He was the mastermind behind the annual Top 100 Wine List, a tradition he started at Wine Spectator and is now continued under the other James: James Molesworth. Nowadays, Mr. Suckling has more of a following among Asian buyers as he is based out of Hong Kong and conducts his frequent wine-tasting educational seminars in that city. Still, when he put Château Figeac 2020 as #4 on his Top 100 list of 2023, we thought it was worth mentioning to our American clients.

James thus reviewed Château Figeac 2020: "A mesmerizing nose here with flowers such as violets and red roses, then shows cherries and currants with some mineral and black truffles. Full-bodied yet so refined and harmonized with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Flavors of perfectly ripened fruit (al dente) with a hazelnut character that comes from the seeds. Incredibly transparent young red. Breathtaking. 37% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028 and onwards. Magnificent. Rating: 100 pts." Many of his peer critics gave similar top ratings to the wine.

What both casual and serious wine buyers should notice is that the 2020 vintage of Château Figeac may be the best undervalued, top-rated Figeac one can buy for generations to come. Its superb quality from one of Bordeaux's best vintages on record is unquestioned. Yet, it was produced and released before Château Figeac won the long-expected promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A, the First Growth equivalent of the Right Bank, in the 2022 Saint-Émilion Classification. For comparison, the 2022 vintage Château Figeac was released at a much higher premium, reflecting its newly crowned, more prestigious status.

Tasting Notes

"The 2020 Figeac is a blend of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.9% and a pH of 3.7. Opaque purple-black colored, it bursts from the glass with a beautifully vibrant initial wave of pure, pristine black fruits: fresh black cherries, juicy black plums and ripe blackcurrants. With swirling, a whole array of floral and spice notes is unleashed: lavender, ground cloves, cumin seed, cardamom and rose oil. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly graceful for the intensity of aromas, featuring ethereal, perfumed black berry notes, framed by a seamless line of freshness and ripe, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Far more cerebral and quietly introspective than it is hedonic, this could only be Figeac." Lisa Perotti-Brown, End of May 2021: The Wine Advocate (05/28/2021) Rating: 96-98+

"This delivers concentration and intensity, a ton of black fruits, definitely Cabernet dominant in terms of fruit, and its slightly serious character, with a whoosh of juice on the finish. An extremely elegant and controlled wine, with savoury bilberry and loganberry, then peony and tobacco leaf as it opens. Tannins are finely layered but there are a lot of them. Not an exuberant Figeac, but this is rarely a wine that rushes out to seduce, it takes its time and has ageing potential in spades. The gravel soils in the drought of the summer meant the grapes slowed their ripening process, although only the youngest vines suffered blockages, and that combined with the high Cabernet content of Figeac means lower alcohols than the past few years, giving a classic balance and a feeling of effortless success. 75% of the production went into the first wine. Harvest September 4 to October 1, a full five weeks. Their final yield here was around 37hl/ha, (higher than in 2019 at Figeac, which was 34hl/ha). As with on the Left Bank, the Cabernet Sauvignons were the lowest yield (30hl/ha), with tiny berries so had to be careful with the extraction. First vintage in the new cellars." Jane Anson, Best Saint-Émilion Wines Tasted 2020 En Primeurs (04/30/2021) Rating: 96, Drink: 2029-2046

"A super-classic wine, the 2020 Figeac sizzles with vertical energy. The château has made a number of tremendous wines in recent vintages, but I don't remember a Figeac with this much saline-drenched intensity and mineral drive. The 2020 is superb, but it won't be ready to drink anytime soon. The mixture of soil types and varieties, with the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, that is such a signature here, was a huge help in maintaining balance and energy in the wine. Technical Director Frédéric Faye certainly seems to have gotten the most out of the vintage." Antonio Galloni (June, 2021) Rating: 95-97

"I loved the 2020 Château Figeac, and this beauty offers everything you could want from this site, revealing a dense purple/ruby color to go with gorgeous notes of cassis, tobacco, sappy herbs, and spring flowers as well as an almost Pauillac lead pencil note that develops with time in the glass. A blend of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, it's full-bodied and has perfect balance, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. It brings ample power yet has a weightless elegance and riveting precision reminiscent of the 2016. Don't miss it." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur - Part 1, (05/23/2021)  Rating: 96-98