Today it is my pleasure to share one of the storied houses in Washington, based in Walla Walla. Figgins is magic project formed by Walla Walla native, Chris Figgins — truly one of the great talents of the Pacific Northwest. What was originally a wheat farm, the 32 acre Figgins Estate Vineyard was first planted in 2004 and plays host to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Originally Figgins Estate only made two wines each year, a Riesling and a Red Blend and more recently they have started to produce a wine made of Merlot and Petit Verdot, their ‘Figlia’ which is a beautiful tribute to Chris’s two daughters. The Figgins Estate is quite simply producing some of the best Petit Verdot if not THE best Petit Verdot in the Pacific Northwest.
The Figgins Red Wine is always a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. It is a wine of serious cellaring potential akin to the Leonetti wines that Chris has been so famous for. I have been marvelously impressed with how older vintages of this wine has showed. In the past year I have tried both the 2012 and 2013 — both of which were slightly austere upon release and absolutely glorious now. These examples show that the Figgins Red Wine has some incredible aging potential that rivals Leonetti bottlings.
I was enamored by the new release, the 2018 Figgins Red. Wine (OB, 97) which is the best Figgins red wine that I have ever tasted. Harmonious and highly evocative (particularly with the herbal edge and chocolate tones from the Petit Verdot), this is a masterpiece from Chris Figgins where you can see every working part of the orchestra playing in unison together. Learn more about these incredible wines at http://www.figginswine.com Here are my notes of the 2018 Figgins Red Wine.
2018 FIGGINS Red Wine- This is now the second time that I’ve had the pleasure to taste the utterly glorious 2018 FIGGINS Red Wine, a blending masterpiece by Chris Figgins and his winemaking team. This thing is massive monster of a wine that really needs several hours of air to get going. But once tamed, aromatics literally explode out of the glass, unveiling dark currants, roasted figs, black rose petals and creosote tones with shades of green bell pepper from the Petit Verdot blended in. The palate is pillowy and opulent once on the mouth. Layers of creme de cassis, anise, violets, dark cherry cordial, graphite and espresso bean with green bell pepper undertones all brilliantly combine with a vibrant sense of tension. Firm tannins hold everything in place. While this is extraordinary to savor upon release, try your best to resist this beautiful wine for at least a few more years. Drink 2025-2050- 97