Figeac 2009 Case (1.5Lx6)

98 JA / 98 JS / 96 WS / 96 WE / 95 WA / 95 JD

#2 Jane Anson Top 10 Right Bank Wines of 2023

Impossible to resist the 2009 Figeac, with its tight cassis fruits that widen and soften to creamy damson halfway through the palate, the whole thing still bursting with fresh acidities and life at 14 years old. Opulent but with definition and complexity. Liquorice, slate, smoked earth, grilled herbs, baking spices, so good. Harvest September 22 to October 19, 40hl/h yield, 100% new oak. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The aromas in this are amazing, with blueberries, blackberries and fresh mushrooms. Black olives. So aromatic. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and lovely depth of ripe fruit. Balanced. Wild flavors on the finish of, meat, berries and forest fruits. Hints of decadence. 33% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon. Best Figeac ever. Try after 2020. - James Suckling

Distinctive, with atypical (for St.-Emilion) force and drive to the black currant, roasted cedar and maduro tobacco flavors, which are supported by a dense, loam-tinged structure. Terrific roasted espresso, ganache and fig paste notes wait in reserve. Very muscular, but with the cut for balance. Best from 2017 through 2035. 9,200 cases made. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

A ripe year like 2009 is kind to the Cabernet Sauvignon of Château Figeac. The wine is perfumed with new wood and sweet fruits, delicious black currant flavors giving both ripeness and freshness. The wine has weight and impressive density. A star of the vintage. — Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. This is probably one of those most controversial scores. After a topsy-turvy showing in barrel followed by an enervated display just after bottling, under single blind conditions this bottle verifies one of my showings in barrel. There is some lovely Cabernet Franc on the nose here: bay leaf and hints of burnt toast infusing the ripe black fruits. This has real character and charm. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins. This is nicely balanced: fresh and very composed on the finish with savoury hints beginning to emerge. Classy. Could this be a wine that you have to treat on a bottle-by-bottle basis? Tasted January 2013. - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

The 2009 Château Figeac is the normal blend of close to equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a beautiful wine that has classic Figeac style, yet is more reserved and backward than most in the vintage. Forest floor, truffle, blackcurrants, cigar ash and green tobacco notes all emerge from this full-bodied, ripe, yet pure, elegant Saint-Emilion that has good acidity and plenty of length. The tannins are ripe, yet firm, it’s nicely balanced, and it blossoms with time in the glass. Nevertheless, it needs another 4-5 years of cellaring to hit prime time, and it should keep for 2-3 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck