I think that I blushed a little when I heard about a new FIGGINS wine. ‘This one is going to be Merlot and Petit Verdot” said Chris Figgins. Named after his daughters, I remember being in awe and wondering what ‘Figlia’ might taste like. The FIGGINS ‘Figlia’ is unlike any other wine of its kind. Full-bodied and loaded with fruit and non-fruit flavors, this wine is totally stunning coming from the high elevation FIGGINS estate vineyard, in the foothills of the Bluewood Mountains.
In my opinion the idea behind this wine was to showcase truly how great Petit Verdot is from this site. The PV just needed a good companion to have it play with. Merlot is an interesting blending agent here because it definitely has its own personality from this site. It is also very bold but also smooth and does not typically take on the rich herbal character of the Petit Verdot. The Petit Verdot from this site is truly a monster with massive tannins and loads of blue fruit flavors (think huckleberry and blueberry). Each wine is stored in a small portion of new oak barrels, as this utilizes mostly neutral oak.
Tasting with Chris we were both amazed how these wines had held. For years I have loved this novel wine which is unlike anything made in Washington State. About a month ago I had the great opportunity to taste through every vintage of ‘Figlia’ starting with the incredible 2016 ‘Figlia’ (OB, 96) which was round and generous — quite frankly a joy to consume now. I was absolutely blown away with the 2018 ‘Figlia’ (OB, 97) which was a massive joyride of a wine, with a smooth texture and glorious flavor density. The new wine coming from the 2020 vintage (OB, 96) is already beautifully evolved, with herbal tones and rich dark fruits. The key to these wines is they typically need a few hours of air before consuming. Open one and watch it evolve over several hours. I think you are going to be really impressed.
Consistency is key here as the wines showed well even in challenging vintages like 2019. There was no shortage of flavor density in the 2019. Learn more about these fantastic wines at figginswine.com. Here are my reviews of the incredible FIGGINS ‘Figlia’ wines.
2016 Figgins ‘Figlia’ Red Wine- The 2016 ‘Figlia’ is a proprietary blend of Merlot and Petit Verdot. Stored in French oak for 22 months, this offers bright red cherry and black raspberry notes on the nose alongside coffee grounds and green herbs on the nose. The texture is insanely good with beautiful freshness and viscosity. Super juicy and offering loads of mouth-watering acidity, this is simply outstanding. A joy to drink right now, this will cellar well over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2023-2038- 96
2017 Figgins ‘Figlia’ Red Wine- Slightly more rustic than the 2016, the 2017 ‘Figlia’ is a fantastic showing. Stored in French oak for 22 months, this offers concentrated red fruit flavors with perfumed aromatics of rose petals and potpourri. Fresh and lively with vibrant acidity and a smooth mouthfeel, this is a stunning wine that has rich power and refined tannins, with great underlying finesse. Give this an hour in the decanter if savoring now. Drink 2023-2038- 96
2018 Figgins ‘Figlia’ Red Wine- The 2018 Figgins ‘Figlia’ Red Wine is a magnificent wine that is made for aging. Loads of chocolate and tobacco greet you on the nose alongside roasted dates and shades of coffee grounds. A total head-turner on the palate, this is seamless throughout they drinking experience with massive black and blue fruits alongside the herbal and stony tones. Refined tannins frame this beautiful wine. Give this at least two hours if opening now. Drink 2023-2040- 97
2019 Figgins ‘Figlia’ Red Wine- The elegant 2019 Figgins ‘Figlia’ Red Wine might not have the concentration of the ’18 but is drinking marvelously right now. A beautiful core of blackberry, tar and pipe tobacco greet you alongside chocolate and sagebrush notes. Very polished, this is great now but also has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2023-2038- 95
2020 Figgins ‘Figlia’ Red Wine- An incredible nose greets you in this fantastic 2020 bottling that is one of the outstanding wines of the vintage. Dried herbs, sous bois, and rich huckleberry fruits combine with mocha and tar notes. The palate is plush and refined with silky tannins that combine with the massive core of black and blue fruits. Sultry and rich, this is beautiful stuff to consume even now. Drink 2023-2043- 96