Chateau Figeac 2009

The wine in this vintage

A sunny, generous vintage, 2009 brought Bordeaux a hot, dry summer and a worry-free harvest of perfectly ripe grapes. At Figeac, where the Cabernets play such an important role, these conditions meant full ripeness even for the later-ripening varieties. Château Figeac 2009 combines the richness of the year with the house's aromatic signature: cassis, blackberry, black cherry, cedar, tobacco and spice, on a broad, fleshy palate with ripe but still vigorous tannins. Robert Parker awarded it 100 points. Still far from full maturity, it asks for more years in the cellar.

The producer · Château Figeac

Among the oldest estates in Saint-Émilion, Château Figeac traces its roots to a Gallo-Roman villa and was for centuries a vast domain from which several neighbouring properties were carved in the nineteenth century. It has belonged to the Manoncourt family since 1892: Thierry Manoncourt, from the post-war years, gave the wine its modern identity, and today his descendants run the estate with a technical team led by Frédéric Faye. The vineyard, around forty hectares in a single block, sits on three ridges of deep gravel, a terroir rare on the Right Bank and closer to that of the Médoc. This explains a blend unique in the appellation, in which Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc carry as much weight as Merlot, or more. The result is a Saint-Émilion of great aromatic complexity, fresh, spicy and long-lived, which in recent years has gained further precision and depth. In 2022 Figeac was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé A, crowning a long pursuit of excellence, alongside a newly built winery.

Critics' scores

• 100 Robert Parker
• 96 Wine Spectator
• 96 Wine Enthusiast
• 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Château Figeac

Region

Bordeaux

Country

Francia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2009

When to drink

Not yet at its peak

Critics' average

97.3/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0180109