Château Figeac 2015 -1er Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

With 35% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, Figeac, located on the gravelly plateau bordering Pomerol, is often said to be the most Médoc-like of the Saint-Émilion wines. The originality of the vintage lies in its central terroir, which is composed of Günzian gravel, the same as that found in the grands crus classés of the Left Bank. As a result, this premier cru classé ages perfectly over time. Thierry Manoncourt, the soul of the estate for over sixty years, gave it a welcome boost. Since 2013, Marie-France Manoncourt, Thierry's widow, has formed a new board of directors with her daughters. With the competent director Frédéric Faye, the estate has reached the top of the Right Bank.

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

This great wine never fails to impress with its style and character. The sunny 2015 vintage allowed the wine to express all the finesse of its terroir and the complexity of its grape varieties, with 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc in this vintage. After eighteen months of aging in new oak, the wine displays a deep, brilliant color with youthful purple highlights. On the nose, fresh notes of black fruit are accompanied by the spiciness of Cabernet Sauvignon and the floral notes of Cabernet Franc. Delicate oak with hints of chocolate and mocha completes the palette. On the palate, the juicy flesh of the Merlot gives this wine a rare fullness and velvety texture, while elegant, still firm tannins give it length and suggest very long aging potential.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Recent changes at this great estate have resulted in a spectacular increase in intensity and complexity—without compromising the husky, smooth, and sensual voice that is Figeac—2015 is a monumental achievement. Bravo to Frédéric Faye and his team for so beautifully expressing what was clearly an extraordinary vintage at Château Figeac! A blend of 29% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 28% Cabernet Franc, Figeac 2015 has a deep purple-garnet color and reveals vibrant notes of black cherries, blackcurrants, red currants, black plums, and licorice with hints of cigar boxes, bouquet garni, potpourri, damp soil, and black pepper. Medium-bodied, delicately crafted and with nuanced and intense layers of bright red and black fruits, the palate has a solid structure of polished, rounded tannins and impeccable freshness.

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About wine:

Very dark, undeniably sunny, and extremely powerful, this wine combines a voluptuous, superlative texture with the authoritative length of Cabernet grapes (43% Sauvignon and 28% Franc). Nevertheless, it has refined considerably during aging, regaining the structured tension characteristic of Figeac, which will reassure aficionados of the château. Very long aging potential.

About the estate:

With an atypical blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot in equal proportions, Figeac's unique and personal style represents the quintessence of the elegance and refinement of the wines from the western plateau that Saint-Émilion shares with Pomerol. Figeac has a character all its own, often more austere and compact than its neighbors when young. These are wines of exceptional pedigree, easy to drink and long-lasting. Figeac shines in hot vintages (as proven by 2005) and only reveals its full potential after ten to fifteen years of aging. The construction of the new winery, completed for the 2020 harvest, has made it possible to go into even greater detail about the plots, including the intra-plot, and Frédéric Faye is delighted with the extreme functionality of the facilities. Semi-underground and close to the château, with which it shares the elegance of a grand cru, this new facility blends majestically but unostentatiously into the site, refreshing the location. The château thus confirms the extent of its "modern" classicism, its unpretentious integrity, and its rank: that of the rare first growths. Its history rooted in the legend of Saint-Emilion; the preserved trees in the park creating a perfect ecosystem; the power of its terroir with its unique relief and extremely high-quality clay soils; and the relevance of the new winery have earned the Manoncourt family's property a fourth star.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

Dominated by the two Cabernets—Sauvignon and Franc—this is a beautifully structured wine. Firm tannins and ripe blackcurrants give it a fragrant, ripe, dense, and impressive character. The wine has enormous potential, with great tannins and fruit. Drink from 2027 onwards.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About wine:

Fabulous aromas of blackberries, black licorice, and lavender. Rose petals too. Full-bodied, deep, and powerful with a sexy, velvety tannin texture. Long and caressing. Muscular and balanced. It will take until 2022 to come together, but it is already a modern and concentrated Figeac.

Jeb Dunnuck