Château Figeac 2020

Beaucoup de finesse, de subtilité dans ce bouquet. Expressions florales et fruitées avec des nuances d’herbes aromatiques (thym) puis une touche de poivre noir. Parfums de violettes, de myrtilles, de liqueur de cassis et de framboises. En bouche le vin se distingue par sa finesse également. Il est précis, friand, doté de tannins serrés, puissants et aux grains fins et d’une structure acide vive. Ils se révèlent essentiellement en fin de bouche où ils atteignent leur amplitude. Belle et longue finale fruitée. Un Figeac puissant, racé, marqué par la fraîcheur de sa finale. Le vin est vibrant, imposant et persistant. 2028-2060

This is a really sophisticated young wine with tobacco, crushed stone, currants and dark chocolate on the nose, following through to a medium to full body with intense yet linear tannins and a spicy, fresh finish. Some cloves and black pepper. Graphite at the end. Very long. 37% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon.

Couleur sombre, intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité, subtil, parfumé et délicat. Bouche tout en grâce tactile, avec une folle élégance dans le toucher et une texture noble qui m'a donné envie d'un peu plus de puissance entre le milieu et la finale, d'un peu moins de prudence. Belle persistance incrachable. Assemblage : 37 % merlot, 32 % cabernet franc, 31 % cabernet sauvignon. Degré d'alcool : 13°8 - pH : 3,7. Rendement : 40 hl/ha. Production : 75 % de premier vin.

This delivers concentration and intensity, a ton of black fruits, definitely Cabernet dominant in terms of fruit, and its slightly serious character, with a whoosh of juice on the finish. An extremely elegant and controlled wine, with savoury bilberry and loganberry, then peony and tobacco leaf as it opens. Tannins are finely layered but there are a lot of them. Not an exuberant Figeac, but this is rarely a wine that rushes out to seduce, it takes its time and has ageing potential in spades. The gravel soils in the drought of the summer meant the grapes slowed their ripening process, although only the youngest vines suffered blockages, and that combined with the high Cabernet content of Figeac means lower alcohols than the past few years, giving a classic balance and a feeling of effortless success. 75% of the production went into the first wine. Harvest September 4 to October 1, a full five weeks. Their final yield here was around 37hl/ha, (higher than in 2019 at Figeac, which was 34hl/ha). As with on the Left Bank, the Cabernet Sauvignons were the lowest yield (30hl/ha), with tiny berries so had to be careful with the extraction. First vintage in the new cellars.

The 2020 Figeac is a blend of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.9% and a pH of 3.7. Opaque purple-black colored, it bursts from the glass with a beautifully vibrant initial wave of pure, pristine black fruits: fresh black cherries, juicy black plums and ripe blackcurrants. With swirling, a whole array of floral and spice notes is unleashed: lavender, ground cloves, cumin seed, cardamom and rose oil. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly graceful for the intensity of aromas, featuring ethereal, perfumed black berry notes, framed by a seamless line of freshness and ripe, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Far more cerebral and quietly introspective than it is hedonic, this could only be Figeac.