36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot.
"Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. Zarte Edelholznuancen, schwarze Waldbeeren, ein Hauch von Cassis und Lakritze, feine Tabaknuancen, Gewürze, Orangenzesten, noch etwas zurückhaltend. Komplex, süße Kirschen, gut eingebaute Tannine, mineralisch und anhaftend, eleganter Stil mit feinfruchtigem Abgang, salzig im Nachhall, zart nach Lakritze im Finale, ungemein harmonisch, sicheres Entwicklungspotenzial, allerdings ist noch Geduld gefragt." - Falstaff
"The nose is elegant, delicate, racy and offers a beautiful finesse/delicacy, power, deepness, a beautiful finesse of the grain (very discreetly tight) as well as harmony. It reveals notes of fleshy/fresh blackberry, cornflower, small notes of ripe/juicy small berries associated with small touches of cuben pepper, nutmeg, sweet spices as well as a discreet hint of cardamom and tea. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers a beautiful finesse, an acidulous frame, a beautiful definition, roundness, elegance, a beautiful finesse of the fat, a finesse of the grain, suavity, a fine tension, harmony as well as a small racy minerality. On the palate this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, juicy/pulpy cassis and small notes of violette associated with small touches of small bright blue fruits, fleshy/juicy raspberry as well as fine hints of nutmeg, chocolate, cornflower, a racy minerality, very discreet hints of sweet spices, hazelnut, black tea and almond. Tannins are fine, elegant and slightly coating. A gourmand persistence on notes of chocolate and almond. Beautiful persistence. Splendid Cabernet Franc! A wine that needs time to reveal all its beauty in the glass with a beautiful intensity all in finesse!" - VertdeVin
"The 2019 Figeac is without question one of the wines of the vintage. All the promise it showed as a young barrel sample, is all there in bottle, too. Estate Director Frédéric Faye crafted a towering, statuesque Figeac built on vertical energy and a feeling of vibrancy that never lets up. Deep layers of red/purplish fruit, cedar, tobacco, mint and dried flowers are framed by a super-classic expression of structure that keeps things in balance. There is a bit more Cabernet Franc in this year's blend, and that definitely comes through. Readers who can find the 2019 should not hesitate, as it is truly majestic." - Antonio Galloni
"This 2019 Figeac offers an irresistible bouquet offering a compelling and complex mix of plum and raspberry fruit, floral scents of iris and violet, mingling with liquorice, graphite and a grace note of menthol. A judicious touch of perfectly integrated new oak completes its multilayered aromatic profile. There is real density for the full-bodied, even fleshy, palate that is structured by a framework of precise, fine-grained tannins that leads to the airborne finish that is all the more remarkable in the context of such a sumptuous vintage. Here is a Figeac that is beautifully expressive of its terroir with cellaring potential for up to thirty to forty years." - Decanter
"This is a really beautiful red with crushed-berry, plum, bark, mushroom and earth character. It’s full and creamy-textured with lots of tannins, but they are integrated and polished and flow across the palate. So much depth and intensity, yet there’s underlying grace and class. Try after 2025." - James Suckling
"The 2019 Figeac has turned out brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, cassis, warm spices, violets and pencil shavings, framed by a deft touch of nicely integrated new oak, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, powdery structuring tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, precise finish. Rich but vibrant, this 2019 reflects the new precision that Frédéric Faye has brought to Figeac; but while it's richer and more polished than the wines of yesteryear, the estate's identity hasn't been lost." - Robert Parkers Wine Advocate
"The 2019 Château Figeac checks in as 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot, and it's another brilliant wine from Frédéric Faye. This deep purple-hued effort offers a beautiful Pauillac-like bouquet of ripe black cherries, cassis, damp earth, leafy herbs, chocolate, and smoked tobacco. It has classic Figeac herbal, earthy goodness (no doubt due to its high percentage of Cabernet) and is medium to full-bodied on the palate, has perfect tannins and flawless balance, all making for a brilliant Saint-Emilion that brings richness and power paired with finesse and elegance. Give bottles 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30+." - Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2019 Figeac was bottled in mid-July. Deep in color, with a bouquet that is initially backward and reticent. It requires a few minutes to shake off the veil of oak from the élevage. As I observed last year, the Cabernet Franc is very expressive this year, contributing blackberry and graphite notes and lending a more Left Bank-style bouquet. The palate is very fresh from the first moment, and very well structured, delivering layers of black fruit struck through by a fine bead of acidity. The tannins are very fine, and that crucial saline element appears toward the persistent finish. This is overtly classic in style and will require cellaring to reveal its full potential. But what potential! Chapeau, Frédéric Faye and team Manoncourt." - Neal Martin
"Large-scaled, capturing all the rich and flamboyant cassis, steeped plum and blackberry reduction notes that are hallmarks of the vintage, along with a broad swath of loam and warm gravel underneath as tobacco and alder accents fill in wherever possible. Muscular and toothy along the edges but rock-solid in build, with enough fruit to round into form eventually. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 9,062 cases made." - Wine Spectator
Das Château Figeac
Das Château Figeac ist eines der bedeutendsten und traditionsreichsten Weingüter der französischen Gemeinde Saint-Émilion in der Region von Bordeaux. In der Hierarchie der Rotweine von Saint-Émilion gehört es als Premier Grand Cru Classé B der zweithöchsten Stufe an.
Der Château Figeac ist einer der herausragenden Rotweine von Bordeaux. Seinen Geschmack charakterisieren reiche Aromen roter Früchte, Töne von Konfitüre und eine würzige Fülle. Trotz seiner kräftigen Tannine wirkt er im Mund geschmeidig und rund. Er zeichnet sich durch große Nachhaltigkeit aus. Typisch für ihn ist, dass er anfangs recht leicht wirkt, sich seine Intensität aber an der Luft stetig steigert.
Der Merlot-Anteil macht ihn schon nach kürzerer Zeit zugänglich, seine Struktur erlaubt ihm aber, in der Flasche jahrzehntelang zu reifen. Bekannt ist er dafür, dass sich auch kleinere Jahrgänge sehr positiv entwickeln.
Im Château Figeac gelten die Qualitätsmaßstäbe der großen Bordeaux'. Das mittlere Alter der Reben liegt bei 35 Jahren, der Ertrag pendelt um die 40 hl/ha. Die Arbeit im Weinberg folgt den Regeln des integrierten Anbaus. Die Trauben werden von Hand gelesen, entrappt und im Keller nochmals mehrfach nachsortiert. Die Gärung findet heute wieder in Eichenbottichen statt. Château Figeac war in den Sechzigerjahren einer der Pioniere des Einsatzes von Edelstahltanks, diese werden heute nur noch für den Zweitwein La Grange Neuve de Figeac sowie für die Assemblage vor der Abfüllung verwendet. Seit 1998 erfährt der Wein vor Beginn der Gärung eine mehrtägige Präfermentation bei 14 °C. Vergärt wird ausschließlich mit natürlichen Hefen. Der Tresterhut wird bei der Maischegärung eingetaucht und mehrmals aufgelockert. Auch wenn die Maischestandzeit verlängert wurde, wird nach wie vor eher Finesse als Konzentration angestrebt. In den „Grand Vin“ geht auch der Wein der schonenden ersten Pressung ein, die zweite Pressung kommt in den Zweitwein.
