Figeac promoted in St Emilion re-classification
The 2022 re-classification of St Emilion has always been controversial, with some top wineries walking away but as always there will be winners and losers, and the losers may even go to court over it.
The classification awards Premier Grand Cru Classé A status to just two producers, while it also recognises 12 Premier Grand Cru Classés (B) and 71 Grands Cru Classés.
St Emilion has a confusing tier structure. Going from bottom to top it is:
St Emilion
St Emilion Grand Cru (now there are 71)
St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B (only 12)
St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A (only 2)
To add complexity there are the St Emilion satellites, which are not technically a part of St Emilion but allowed to use St Emilion and their real region such as Lussac-Saint-Émilion, on their labels. They are not part of St Emilion even though the name is in the appellation.
The two top St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A are Château Figeac and Château Pavie. The other 3 Grand Cru Classé A Chateaux from the last classification in 2012 (Angélus, Ausone and Cheval Blanc) decided to withdraw from the 2022 re-classification.
Ausone and Cheval Blanc said they left because they did not like the new method of determining the top wines. Angélus claimed this as well, however co-owner Hubert de Boüard was fined €60,000 after a court decided he illegally manipulated the system in 2012.
The 12 Premier Grands Cru Classé (B) producers are:
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
Château Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse
Château Bélair Monange
Château Canon
Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
Château Larcis Ducasse
Château Pavie Macquin
Château Troplong Mondot
Château Trottevieille
Château Valandraud
Clos Fourtet
La Mondotte
