EP23 Release: Figeac 2023 "Chapeau!" NM
Bordeaux Index
13 June 2024
St-Emilion Superstar, Château Figeac, releases their 2023 today at GBP 1788 per 12 IB.
2023 is another magnificent Château Figeac – so what’s new?! Orchestrator-in-chief, Frederic Faye, has conducted a multi-voice symphony of athletic finesse and seductive harmonies from the estate’s myriad terroirs. The traditional Figeac triumvirate of equal parts Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc and Merlot has been tweaked slightly this vintage to include more of the last variety to balance the sheer power of the accompanying Cabs. But it remains very much the impeccably balanced thoroughbred 1st Growth St-Emilion that more than deserves its recent classification upgrade.
“silky, energetic…gorgeous sense of purity…the quintessential definition of elegance.” JL
“Fragrant floral aromatics…vibrant juiciness…flint and textural interest, full of Figeac finesse.” JA
“the Cabernets really ‘sing…classic Figeac…a wonderful Saint-Émilion that ranks amongst the best wines of the vintage. Chapeau!” NM
If there’s one Bordeaux First Growth this year that everyone should own, it must surely be Chateau Figeac 2023 – a remarkable wine from a remarkable terroir in a remarkable vintage. Chapeau indeed!
“A brilliant classic in the making” WK
“a beautiful wine in the vintage that shows the absolute class of this château today” JD
“2023 Figeac is gorgeous…an absolute beauty…one of the wines of the vintage” AG
2023 Figeac
97-99pts JL The Wine Cellar Insider “Just a single swirl brings out the flowers, leaves, tobacco, truffle, black cherry, plums, and black raspberries. From there you discover the medium-bodied, silky, energetic backdrop for all of the black cherries exuding their gorgeous sense of purity. There are no hard edges. This is the quintessential definition of elegance. For history buffs, this is the 130th vintage under the ownership of the Manoncourt family. The wine blends 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 37% [sic] Cabernet Sauvignon. 5% Press wine. 13.5% ABV, 3.68 pH, 5% press wine. The key to the vintage was two green harvests and finding the best picking dates, which encompass a long wait for the Cabernets to mature. Picking took place September 6 - October 5. The length of the harvest is due to the 12 day break between the Merlot and the Cabernets. Drink from 2029-2065.”
98pts JA Inside Bordeaux “Fragrant floral aromatics straight off the bat, peony and violet, and a vibrant juiciness that travels through the palate. Savoury dark fruit character, with flint and textural interest, full of Figeac finesse. 130th vintage of the Manoncourt family at Figeac, and the first vintage where they knew they were Premier Grand Cru Classé A from the start of the season, as it was announced in September 2022. 130mm of rain lower than average over the growing season here, allowing a long slow harvest from September 6 to October 5, 45hl/h yield.”
98pts GH Decanter “High-toned aromatics, purple fruit, blackcurrant, wet stones and minerality on the nose, really quite scented and alive, floral, purple flowers, and ripe black fruit with freshness too. Supple and succulent, a good plushness here, not chalky or chewy but ripe and cool at the same time. Hints of dark chocolate, liquorice, blueberry and wet stone also gives the mineral accents. Silky but this wine has an amazing texture. Cool and classic, but there’s clear ripeness too. Almost thick, but refined. High acidity, great lift and zing - tannins are present and apparent, gently expanding around the mouth. It’s more serious than usual, a touch more firm with tension but equally it's structured with a long, mouthwatering finish. This will be lovely! 3.68pH.”
97-98pts JS James Suckling “The density and finesse to this is terrific, offering blackberry, dark chocolate, walnut and hazelnut, as well as currant and sandalwood. Orange peel, too. Full-bodied and compact with a superb core of thick, velvet-textured tannins and a juicy finish. Extremely long. 41% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 27% cabernet sauvignon.”
96-98pts LPB The Wine Independent “A blend of 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 Figeac has a pH of 3.68 and it is deep garnet-purple in color. It prances out of the glass with out-going scents of black raspberries and fresh blackcurrants, opening out to reveal an undercurrent of pencil shavings, rose bud tea, iron ore, and wood smoke. The medium-bodied palate delivers a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and beautiful tension supporting the taut, muscular black fruits, finishing with a long-lingering mineral firework display.”
96-98pts NM Vinous “The 2023 Figeac was cropped at 45hL/ha from September 6 until October 5, one of the longest harvest periods ever. It matured in 100% new oak, as usual. My samples included the 5% vin de presse. This has a very perfumed bouquet: red fruit rather than black, iris flower rather than violet, light sous-bois and tobacco scents deriving from the Cabernets. The palate is medium-bodied, and the Cabernets really "sing" on the entry. Black fruit mixes with graphite and light tobacco notes, surging with fresh acidity and real brightness, or what the French call éclat. There’s gentle grip here—classic Figeac from start to finish, with a subtle marine influence toward the close. This will be a wonderful Saint-Émilion that ranks amongst the best wines of the vintage. Chapeau!”
96-98pts WK The Wine Advocate “A brilliant classic in the making, the 2023 Figeac unwinds in the glass with aromas of cassis and mulberry mingled with notions of iris, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, burning embers and spices. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, it's deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of fruit that's framed by powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a broad, atypically mineral finish. It's a blend of 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon that attained 13.5% alcohol.”
95-98pts AG Vinous “The 2023 Figeac is gorgeous. Seamless and vibrant, with captivating elegance, this is an absolute beauty. What I admire most is its exceptional balance. Everything is in the right place. Time in the glass brings out hints of gravel, dried herbs, licorice, tobacco and cedar that add dimension. Although it is early, Figeac is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage.”
94-97pts JD Jeb Dunnuck “The 2023 Château Figeac is Merlot-dominated but includes 32% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the élevage all in new French oak. Classic Figeac purple fruits, tobacco, leafy herbs, violets, and graphite all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full body, a remarkable sense of purity and precision, fine-grained tannins, and a gorgeous finish. Hitting 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.68, it's a beautiful wine in the vintage that shows the absolute class of this château today.”
