2023

Château Figeac

Saint-Emilion AOP, 1er Grand Cru Classé A

Zu gleichen Teilen Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon und Cabernet Franc repräsentieren im Grand Vin von Château Figeac eine klassische Right-Bank Bordeaux-Cuvée. Sein Ruf als der Médoc unter den Saint-Émilions rührt vielmehr von den meterdicken Kiesböden, die das Terroir dem des Haut-Médoc ähneln lassen. Als Premier Grand Cru Classé B eingestuft, begegnet Figeac seinem Nachbarn Cheval Blanc fast auf Augenhöhe.

PRESSE

97-98 Punkte James Suckling
"The density and finesse to this is terrific, offering blackberry, dark chocolate, walnut and hazelnut, as well as currant and sandalwood. Orange peel, too. Full-bodied and compact with a superb core of thick, velvet-textured tannins and a juicy finish. Extremely long. 41% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 27% cabernet sauvignon."

96-98 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
"A brilliant classic in the making, the 2023 Figeac unwinds in the glass with aromas of cassis and mulberry mingled with notions of iris, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, burning embers and spices. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, it's deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of fruit that's framed by powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a broad, atypically mineral finish. It's a blend of 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon that attained 13.5% alcohol.
Director of Château Figeac since 2013, Frédéric Faye emphasizes precision and timing when he characterizes the estate's evolution over the last decade. Harvest now lasts three or four weeks, stopping and starting, so each parcel of this 41-hectare vineyard can be picked at optimal maturity; and that was the case a fortiori in 2023, with picking beginning with Merlot between September 6 and 15, stopping for 12 days, and then concluding with Cabernet between September 27 and October 5. Farming is similarly adapted parcel by parcel, with year-round cover crops and cultivation by horse to minimize soil compaction. And a brand-new winery triples the team's working space, with small tanks so that each parcel can be vinified separately. Yet the objective is to perfect Figeac, not to change it. If the estate's wines are now suppler and fuller, their classically Cabernet-rich assemblage hasn't altered. Old-fashioned approaches such as submerged-cap fermentation for fruit growing on gravel soils have been retained. And of course, the estate's distinctive and complex terroir hasn't changed. Faye handled Cabernet Sauvignon especially gently in 2023, as the berries were small and concentrated."

97 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser)
"Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Intensive schwarze Beerenfrucht, nach Brombeeren, ein Hauch von Cassis, zart florale Nuancen, einladendes Bukett. Komplex, saftig, kräftig, zart nach Heidelbeeren, präsente, eingebundene Tannine, salzige Mineralität im Abgang, bleibt sehr gut haften, ein stoffiger und zugleich finessenreicher Speisenbegleiter, sicheres Reifepotenzial."

96-98 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
"The 2023 Figeac was cropped at 45hL/ha from September 6 until October 5, one of the longest harvest periods ever. It matured in 100% new oak, as usual. My samples included the 5% vin de presse. This has a very perfumed bouquet: red fruit rather than black, iris flower rather than violet, light sous-bois and tobacco scents deriving from the Cabernets. The palate is medium-bodied, and the Cabernets really ""sing"" on the entry. Black fruit mixes with graphite and light tobacco notes, surging with fresh acidity and real brightness, or what the French call éclat. There’s gentle grip here—classic Figeac from start to finish, with a subtle marine influence toward the close. This will be a wonderful Saint-Émilion that ranks amongst the best wines of the vintage. Chapeau!"