New 2022 Saint-Emilion classification, 15 new entrants and one return
On 8 September, INAO, the French National Institute for the Protection of Geographical Names, published a new classification for the largest appellation of the Right Bank of Bordeaux.
The triumphant is, without doubt, Château Figeac which, in accordance with the expectations of the industry professional, has been promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé A. With the withdrawal of Château Ausone, Château Cheval Blanc and Château Angelus, only Château Pavie remained at the top level of the ranking. It is now joined by the mythical Château Figeac. Blandine de Brier-Manoncourt of Château Figeac in the official press release sent by the estate underlined that “This classification is a powerful vector of dynamism and improvement for the whole appellation, for dozens of families and teams, as well as a guarantee for consumers.”
Thus, besides the abdication of three châteaux and the promotion of Figeac, the upper part of the ranking did not change a lot, while in the “B” section there were many movements. 71 estates were classified as Grands Crus Classés versus 64 in 2012. The 15 new entrants are Château Badette, Château Boutisse, Château Croix de Labrie, Château La Confession, Château La Croizille, Château Lassegue, Château Mangot, Château Montlisse, Château Montlabert, Château Rol Valentin, Château Tour Baladoz, Château Tour Saint Christophe, Clos Badon-Thunevin, Clos Dubreuil and Clos Saint-Julien. Château Corbin Michotte, which was demoted in 2012, has now been reinstated.
Pierre Courdurié, the owner of Château Croix de Labrie, said in a telephone conversation that they are very proud of this reward of their 10 years of work in the fields of biodynamics and agroforestry and underlined that “the classification is a real collective emulation which pushes us to continue working, to always increase the quality of our wine and to seek the best expression of our vines. The classification boosts the image of the appellation.”
Congratulations to all the estates’ owners and teams!
Photo: Nicola Claris – Château Tour Saint-Christophe