Wine Critic
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Château Figeac, Saint Emilion, 1er Grand Cru Classe 2019
Expert tasting note: (2019 vintage)
"Deep, dark, medium ruby red in color. The aromas are of red soft-fruit, redcurrant & chocolate. On the palate the red-fruit has a delicate raspberry & strawberry nature that is lifted by fresh acidity, there are notes of cedar & toasty oak. Rich alcohol leaves the finish spicy & drying with fine tannins, there are attractive leafy touches. Length is pretty good." - 10/23 DCAMW
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate (97/100)
"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.
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. Farming is similarly adapted parcel by parcel, emphasizing sustainability. And a brand-new winery triples the team's working space, with small tanks so each parcel can be vinified separately. Yet the objective is to polish 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 soils haven't changed. Faye and his team have turned in a brilliant performance in 2019, and the Manoncourt family have every reason to be delighted with the new lustre that he has brought to this reference-point château."
- Reviewed by: William Kelley
Château Figeac 2019, Saint‑Émilion 1er Grand Cru Classé is widely regarded as one of the finest modern Figeacs: a Cabernet‑driven, intensely aromatic yet supremely elegant Right‑Bank wine with long aging potential.
Blend and structure
The final blend is 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, with 14.1% alcohol and pH 3.7. Yields were about 34 hl/ha, and the wine was aged in 100% new French oak barriques.
Nose and palate
Critics describe a beautifully defined bouquet of blackberries, cassis, mulberries and black raspberries with violets, pencil shavings, loam, graphite and hints of truffle and warm spices. On the palate it is medium to full‑bodied, deep and concentrated yet agile, with very fine, grainy Cabernet‑led tannins, vibrant acidity, succulent fruit and a long, precise, saline and graphite‑tinged finish. The texture is often likened to a “silky, caressing hand,” combining power with great finesse.
Style and position in the estate’s history
Commentators call 2019 a “classic” or even “great” Figeac, putting it at least on par with 2016 and in some cases ahead of 2015 and 2018. It showcases the estate’s signature of Cabernet‑majority Right‑Bank Bordeaux from three gravel croupes, emphasizing elegance, freshness and terroir transparency over sheer richness.
Aging and service
Drinking windows commonly run from about 2026–2060, with some French sources suggesting 2035–2065 for peak maturity. Serve at 14–16°C, and for bottles opened young, a lengthy decant will help the wine’s layered aromatics and fine structure fully unfold.
