2020 Chateau Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bottle (750ml)

RP100 "The 2020 Figeac is the finest wine that has been bottled to date at this estate since its renaissance began a decade ago. Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, licorice and black truffles, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a suave, harmonious profile, vibrant acids, and beautifully refined structuring tannins. This sapid, complex wine represents the essence of this great terroir. Two years after extensive soil studies of the estate were carried out, and the first growing season to see cover crops used in the vineyards year-round, the 2020 benefited from more coherently demarcated parcels and more precise élevage, which taken together help to account for its edge over the excellent 2019." WK for TWA Apr 2023

JS100 A mesmerizing nose here with flowers such as violets and red roses, then shows cherries and currants with some mineral and black truffles. Full-bodied yet so refined and harmonized with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Flavors of perfectly ripened fruit (al dente) with a hazelnut character that comes from the seeds. Incredibly transparent young red. Breathtaking. 37% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028 and onwards. Magnificent." JS APr 2023

LP99 "A blend of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Figeac has a deep garnet-purple color. It is completely shut-down and silent to begin, requiring a vigorous shake to release nuances of boysenberries, Morello cherries, fresh, crunchy plums, and sassafras, followed by an emerging waft of plum preserves, licorice, chargrill, and violets. The medium-bodied palate is so, so tightly knit, delivering a millefeuille of black and red berries, minerals, earth, and floral notes, with electric tension and very fine-grained, exquisitely ripe tannins, finishing long, long, long. Atomic!" LPB for TWI Mar 2023

Lisa Perrotti-Brown for RobertParker.com writes, "So, I caught up with Frédéric Faye on a Zoom call from his Paris hotel room, where he was participating in very detailed (and, no doubt, extremely heated) discussions surrounding the forthcoming Saint-Émilion reclassification. As a reminder, Figeac has been ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé B since the very first classification, in 1955. But given recent changes—30% of the vineyard replanted since 2009 and a whole new winery—and its clear upward trajectory in quality in recent years, all eyes are now pointed toward the realm of Premier Grand Cru Classé A for this estate. I got stressed just imagining how stressed Faye must have been. If he was about to spontaneously combust, it certainly didn’t show.
As a reminder, Figeac is a little unique in its blend, being composed of nearly equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This year, the blend has a plush, juiciness from the Merlot, a brightness from the Cabernet Franc and a taut, structural element from the Cabernet Sauvignon, all knitted together beautifully and truly singing, “FIGEAC!,” loud and clear. Deliciousness aside, it’s a wine I highly recommend for this evocative attribute alone." Published: May 28, 2021