Community Tasting Note
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HenrikJ wrote: 94 points
October 15, 2014 - Trying this wine again you have to ask if this is at all the same wine as the guy below reviewed. It only highlights the importance of trying more than one bottle if a particular wine performes way differently than expected. Bad bottles may behave in other ways than the typical TCA-notes. The tannic structure on this wine is in fact massive and I get the feeling that this will probably outlive me even though I've barely hit 30 myself. The nose is filled with inky cassis, led pencil shavings, subtle but forward minerality and leather. The palate is medium bodied with, again, huge structure. The emphasis is on cool, dark fruitiness and minerals. The finish is good. This wine will be magical in a few years time. My previous score (for potential) stands. Expect more body, intensity, harmony and complexity as this wine starts to hit its drinking window in 5-10 years. It'll probably still be good in 50 years time.
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7 Comments
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Wineguy76 commented:
10/16/14, 12:01 AM - Glad you liked it...but I also stand by my review. I found it to be lightweight, short and very disappointing for a Figeac, which I usually adore. Other great wines from that underrated vintage which I have tried (and reviewed with very high marks) have excelled and lived up to expectations and beyond....but for me, this Figeac was a rather flavourless disappointment. I hope the next bottle will change my mind. In the meantime out of curiosity I checked what that other "guy" Parker thought of it and found his assessment to be quite similar to mine (he gave it 81 points) :
"Lean and austere with vegetal characteristics, this dark ruby-colored 2008 reveals a hollow mid-palate and moderate tannins in the finish. There are some complex elements in the aromatics, but that does not follow through on the palate. Drink it over the next 7-8 years as it does not appear to possess the substance or concentration to last."
Again I do hope RP and I are both wrong as I have another few bottles of this bought as a long term present for my daughter who was born in 08. -
HenrikJ commented:
10/16/14, 2:16 AM - It's a well known fact that Parker doesn't generally like Figeac. He underrates most vintages compared to neighbouring estates and compared to how other pro reviewers rate Figeac. There are rumours of a mutual disrespect between the advocate and the owners of the chateau. Since Parker doesn't do blind tastings, who knows? Check out some of the other leading publications.
The important question is, did you only try one bottle or have you verified your notes by trying more than one? As I said before, individual bottles can be bad without having obvious TCA. Flat wine with no tannins and no finish? For a wine like this my first and immediate guess would be that the bottle is bad and I'd give a NR until I try another one. One should always try to do that when one tries a wine which performs very differently than expected. Lets just hope it isn't due to poor storage, exposure to strong light, etc. before the bottles landed in your cellar so that more than one of them are affected. -
Wineguy76 commented:
10/16/14, 2:30 AM - I am well aware of the Parker bias and have also already checked the other reviews - which I agree are excellent. Sadly my experience with that first bottle was far less than what I expected it to be, and I was surprised at the similarities between my review and RP's, which is why I mentioned it - especially since I have no bias against Figeac, quite the contrary it tends to be one of my favourite right bank Bordeaux!
I had that particular bottle at La Reserve in Geneva and it showed absolutely no signs of being flawed. It was in perfect condition, decanted and served at the perfect temperature, and should not have disappointed. The only thing that was far from perfect was the wine. Based on that I see absolutely no reason to put an NR rating, rather a rating that reflects how the wine tasted on that occasion. That bottle deserved the 82 it got.
I will try one of my own bottles soon and will post an updated note then. Until then we will have to agree to disagree on this one. -
HenrikJ commented:
10/16/14, 2:33 AM - Fair enough. That's one of the beauties of wine reviewing. We don't all have to think the same. Hope your next bottle performs more like my bottles have for me.
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Wineguy76 commented:
10/16/14, 2:37 AM - Agree 100%, that is rule number 1 of wine tasting. I also hope it will. Cheers.
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pjaines commented:
10/16/14, 3:31 AM - This debate has persuaded me to open up another bottle of the 08. I quite like the austere vintages of Figeac, but it will be interesting to taste again given the difference in opinions.
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Wineguy76 commented:
10/16/14, 3:53 AM - There's nothing like a healthy debate...I will open another bottle myself no later than tonight and hope it will prove my initial assessment wrong.