Château Figeac 1er grand cru classé (B), Saint-Émilion

Figeac's unusual gravel soils — more reminiscent of the Médoc than St-Émilion — produce a wine entirely unlike its neighbours. With an unusually high proportion of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, it is St-Émilion's most structured and intellectually challenging wine: cerebral, complex and built for long ageing. The estate's recent elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) — contested, then confirmed — merely formalised what serious collectors have known for decades. Figeac is, and has always been, among Bordeaux's greatest estates.