Figeac 2021 (750ML)

97 JA / 97 DE / 96+ WA / 96 WI / 95 JS / 95 JD

Wine Advocate Wine of the Vintage

Lovely aromatics right off the bat, good spice, white peppers, touches of savoury cassis. This 71% mix of the two Cabernets is the highest ever at Figeac, and you feel it in this savoury, rosebud, leafy character to the palate, brilliantly handled and one of the wines of the vintage. This delivers careful balance, sculpted fruits, with a juicy finish. 100% new oak. Romain Jean-Pierre technical director. 38hl/h yield, harvest September 21 to October 19 (with a three week gap between Merlot and Cabernet). 3.65ph. First vintage with the new cellar. 70% production into Figeac, 8% press wine. Tasted twice, excellent quality. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

One of my absolute favourite wines in 2021 with Figeac's star power clearly on show. Amazing aromatic complexity on the nose; dark chocolate with perfume from the Cabernet Franc - pink flowers, red cherry touches vanilla and cinnamon - such a seductive smell. Pure and focused - so smooth and sleek with a clear tang to the palate. Quite taut, so defined and pure. The minerality comes through the sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit giving that chalky, salty flavour and texture on the palate. Everything is precise and in the right place. You can tell this is ripe, the concentration is there in the fruit, alongside such bright freshness but also these fun and playful red fruit flavours with lively acidity. Classic Bordeaux style with vibrancy, clarity and harmony - you feel the St-Emilion terroir and the understated glamour. This is an epic wine, a brilliant Figeac and contender for wine of the Right Bank. 100% new oak. 3.65pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2021 Figeac was picked from September 21 until October 19 and matured, as usual, in 100% new oak. It has a very pure, elegant bouquet, the Cabernet Sauvignon imparting subtle pencil lead notes, blackberry and briar, almost understated at first but gaining vigor with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and just the right amount of sapidity. There is unerring symmetry about this Figeac, which is extremely focused yet unconcerned about showing off. There is lovely piquancy on the finish. Unequivocally one the finest Right Bank wines in 2021. Frédéric Faye continues to guide Figeac to the pinnacle of the appellation. (13.0% alcohol) - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

A wine that transcends the vintage's challenges, the 2021 Figeac is performing brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cherries mingled with striking top notes of violet, rose petal, iris and mint. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and suave, it's pure and vibrant, its enveloping core of fruit framed by ultra-refined tannins, concluding with a long, floral finish. Readers in the habit of drinking top grand cru Burgundy are liable to find themselves seduced by this immensely elegant, perfumed Saint-Émilion, a wine I'll definitely be adding to my own cellar. It's the result of gamble that paid off, as Figeac's team chose to wait to pick their Cabernet Sauvignon despite the menace of forecast rain—a menace that, in fact, scarcely transpired. The 2021 saw a somewhat shorter-than-usual élevage of 16 months in barrel without fining. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

A blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, and 29% Merlot, the 2021 Figeac has a deep garnet-purple color. After a little shaking, notes of juicy blackberries, crushed blackcurrants, and black raspberries erupt from the glass, followed by touches of violets, licorice, and cedar chest, plus a waft of dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate vibrates with energetic black and red berry layers, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. Beautiful! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

This wine has beautiful aromas of graphite with plums, berries and some dried flowers. Medium-bodied with juicy fruit and an iron and chocolate undertone. Firm and integrated tannins and a lightly chewy finish. Serious for the vintage, it needs to come around with bottle age. First year in the new winery. Best after 2027. - James Suckling

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Figeac checks in as 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot that was brought up in 100% new barrels. Hitting 113% alcohol and a pH of 3.65, it's a gorgeous 2021 that has both red and black currant fruit, classic tobacco, lead pencil, and violet aromatics, medium to full body, beautiful tannins, and just about flawless balance. It's clearly up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. I'd happily drink a bottle today, yet it's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for at least two decades. It's pure class. - Jeb Dunnuck