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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 49 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Vinterest Angus on 4/6/2020 & rated 92 points: From 6L. Decanted into magnums bottles to reduce airing. Even so, wine seemed a little over aired after a few hours - the quickest we could get round to drinking the bottle this large (!) So suggested it has reached end of life. Far preferred this from smaller bottles, with very short airing. (3774 views) | | | Tasted by melzar on 9/9/2019 & rated 89 points: From 750: Vegetal notes and a little tired. Suffered from the company it kept. Would have been enjoyable by itself. (3856 views) | | | Tasted by brihprivat on 2/24/2019 & rated 94 points: Figeac 88 is an example of why mature bordeaux is an all-time classic. Fantastic nose!!
A bit light at first, but it gains weight with some time In the glass. Didnt dare to decant, but it was very much alive and actually improved over several hours. A hedonistic wine. GREAT. (4193 views) | | | Tasted by Rimbe on 10/13/2018 & rated 94 points: (Dinner at the China Club, Hong Kong)
It is a good, solid, straightforward, (solid = for any wine drinker) wine. There is a mix of oak, crumbling rocks, and grape almost turning cherry.
An old man yawning in a rocking chair.
Leave it to decant for two hours before drinking. (4456 views) | | | Tasted by fcxj on 10/13/2018 & rated 86 points: Aged aromatics, thin palate. (5258 views) | | | Tasted by Solidgold on 5/2/2018 & rated 80 points: Upon opening, the colour in the glass looks rustic brownish red. It is really very light on the palate and the nose is faint. Could not feel any tannins and after 30 mins, the wine just faded. Slight tinch of sour on the tongue and that grew more intense on the hour. I could not finish it (2695 views) | | | Tasted by Solidgold on 5/2/2018: Gone flat. (3086 views) | | | Tasted by Vinterest Angus on 4/7/2018 & rated 94 points: Superb. Sometimes it's good to overlook the notes saying a wine is over the hill or should've been drunk 5 years ago - this wine is in a beautiful place. Soft, mellow, Cab Franc (at least this grape appears to lead at the stage it is now), velvety and long. Delightful - but maybe for only another two or year or two. (2584 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 9/6/2017 & rated 93 points: Excellent vintage of Figeac that's structured and precise with delicious earthy flavors of blackberries, bitter chocolate and graphite minerals. A leaner-styled wine but showing great terroir notes of the vineyard. Finishes crisp with nice grip and complexity. (3076 views) | | | Tasted by ProfesseurDubis on 6/25/2017 & rated 89 points: Bouteille provenant d'une caisse de 6, conservation optimale, niveau dans le goulot.
Robe grenat, sans signe d'évolution, limpide et brillante.
Très beau nez de sous-bois, humus, champignon frais, cèdre.
Bouche sur les arômes tertiaires, plus trop de fruit, finale un peu acide.
Un vin à boire, sur le déclin. (3274 views) | | | Tasted by kevinliewkm on 10/13/2016 & rated 94 points: Decanted for two hours and drank over two hours. It was indescribable! No tasting notes for this one because it was somehow constantly developing over the two hours of drinking and I tasted something different every few minutes. Absolutely amazing. Brings back memories of when I was in Saint Emilion a couple of weeks ago. Not exactly sure how long more this bottle would be good for but now is the perfect time to drink it. Definitely worth every dollar spent! (3390 views) | | | Tasted by thunberg on 9/4/2016 & rated 93 points: Outstanding and still very vibrant and young. Great length and firm tannins. (3691 views) | | | Tasted by DrinkBordeaux on 3/21/2016 & rated 94 points: One of the better Figeacs I can recall, which is really saying something. Great fill level on this bottle. Some mold on the cork, but the cork was dry and in good shape. The wine had a beautiful ruby and slightly rusted color with the edges lightening a bit. A clean nose with impressive purity and ripeness of the fruit. Red currant, cherry, crushed rock, truffle, black tea, and rose petals are on the nose. Lots of floral notes are easy to find. Medium-bodied and full of finesse. The tannins are soft and are in the background. Very fresh finish with lots of well-balanced acidity. I would say this is still at its peak and is drinking beautifully. There is so much fruit left here that I wouldn't hesitate to save this for five more years. A beautiful and very successful effort from Figeac. (3937 views) | | | Tasted by PT insurgent on 4/20/2015: Nose is plum, fig, meat, earth, leather, smoke, tobacco, spice
Palate is showing good tertiary notes, tobacco, leather, char, ash, woody, plum, cherry, leafy, bit warming.
Nice, ok complexity, good typicity. (4212 views) | | | Tasted by johnh1001 on 1/29/2015 & rated 93 points: Love the nose. Did not have the class of the Cheval but great to compare. (4194 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 1/10/2015 & rated 93 points: Nicely evolved in colour, still quite dark core. Expressive nose, wonderful notes of tobacco, spices, ripe fruit. Open and ready on the palate, still good texture, powerful and relatively generous, good fruit, great length. Excellent, drinking very well. 92-94 (3509 views) | | | Tasted by johnh1001 on 11/25/2014 & rated 94 points: another great bottle. Interestingly this one showed very little herbal notes and much more red fruit. Smelled like a burgundy. (3733 views) | | | Tasted by johnh1001 on 11/9/2014 & rated 94 points: Another great bottle. The nose on this wine is superb. (3231 views) | | | Tasted by Stefano FsT on 11/8/2014 & rated 94 points: An outstanding, elegant wine: after 26 years of aging, it offered a broad aromatic palette underscoring tertiary aromas, but still presenting fruity, secondary aromas to complement them (cherry, raspberry, tobacco, underbrush, wet soil, dried leaves, potpourri, sage, rosemary, cocoa, vanilla and a touch of black pepper). It still had enough acidity to keep it alive (although I would not wait much longer to drink it) and gentle tannins, along with great smoothness – overall attaining a nice balance. Long finish. (1950 views) | | | Tasted by melzar on 11/1/2014 & rated 92 points: Very expressive complex nose springs from the bottle upon opening. Could be happy just sniffing this stuff. Palate falls a little short of the promise given by the aroma. Still some tannins to resolve. Will the fruit last long enough? Time will tell.Tobacco and cedar notes. Slight greenness (Cab Franc ? ) detracts a little. Good acidity and long finish. (2092 views) | | | Tasted by johnh1001 on 10/24/2014 & rated 94 points: Another sublime bottle from the same case. (2257 views) | | | Tasted by johnh1001 on 10/14/2014 & rated 93 points: Perfect bottle from the Chateau. Wonderfully mature nose of dark fruit, herbs, slight green pepper, some mint and tobacco. More of the same on the palate. Great freshness and medium depth with superb balance. A great Figeac. (2271 views) | | | Tasted by WineCellarTV on 4/27/2013 & rated 96 points: Velvet crimson with brown reflexes.
Light and transparent edges. Still vibrant and fresh!
aromas of Cedar and other pinewood. Earthy and Leathery characters.
Some Berries paired with Eucalypt in a cloud of sweet Floral traces.
Complex, multi-layered aromas, perfectly integrated to one beautiful nose! Round and soft, but intense and lively.
Flavors of fresh Acidity comes with a combination of Herbs and Spices.
Earth and Stone with little nuances of fruit – mostly ripe Black Currant, Jam.
Languorous, long finish with decent Acidity, Warmth, Spices and Licorice.
Beautiful balanced and simply delicious!
A flawless bottle and a wine, which is probably peaking now!
I can´t imagine this getting any better:
Fully and perfectly integrated with fruit, secondary characteristics and vital acidity walking hand in hand melting to one great experience.
See more details at cellartv.wordpress.com (3365 views) | | | Tasted by Terre on 2/3/2013: Absolute great wine. Still young, can age for a lot years extra! Finesse, complex, fruity.. Everything was there in the glass. (3412 views) | | | Tasted by tooch on 5/10/2012 & rated 91 points: Dinner at The Bristol (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Beautiful nose of raw tobacco, some green pepper, sour cherry and rose petals. With air (we're talking 2 hours) this became really green with its cabernet franc nature taking over. Until that point, the wine was elegant, floral and deep. Beautiful claret. (4770 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Figeac Producer website - Read more about Chateau Figeac
Château Figeac
Vineyard: Château FIGEAC is a family-owned estate covering 54 hectares (133 acres), of which 40 (99 acres) are dedicated to vine-growing. Located to the west of Saint-Emilion, close to the boundaries of Pomerol, its 3 mounds of Güntzian gravel give the vineyard its identity and its grape variety composition.
Appellation: Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Classification: 1st Great Classified Growth since the classification was first set up in 1954
Landscape relief: 3 mounds
Soil type: Guntzian gravel
Grape variety composition: 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot
Hand-harvested
Traditional aging
Oak and stainless steel vats
Duration of ageing: 15 to 18 months
100% new barrels
Average annual production: 120,000 bottles
Technical manager: Frédéric Faye
Cellarmaster: Jean Albino
Owners: Madame Thierry Manoncourt and her childrenRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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