-
99
/ 100
The Drinks Business -
99
/ 100
Jeff Leve -
98
/ 100
Decanter -
98
/ 100
Jane Anson -
98
/ 100
The Wine Advocate
Red
Classification
Merlot Blend
Variety
2023
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion
Region
14.4%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
99 / 100"41% Merlot; 32% Cabernet Franc; 27% Cabernet Sauvignon – small and very concentrated and so a little reduced; a final yield of 45 hl/ha, even after two green harvests; pH 3.68; 5% press wine; 13.5% alcohol; 100% new oak – though it’s difficult to believe; tasted with Blandine Brier Manoncourt and Frédéric Faye and quite a few of the family and team at Figeac itself; lots of careful choices made in the vineyard to match the number of bunches to the plant’s capacity to mature them in a generous vintage like this; the 130th vintage of the Manoncourt family at Figeac). Very, very Figeac just as La Conseillante is so very Conseillante and Cheval Blanc is so very Cheval Blanc. Walnuts and walnut shells. Black berries and black cherry. A little cedar, rather more graphite. Pink rose petals from the garden, even a little rose water. Supple, gracious and elegant yet plump and plush. That graciously beautiful and cool, composed Cabernet fruit. Great depth and profundity but rather different from the Merlot-dominated wines of the appellation and very much more left-bank in style in this vintage. Quite a tight frame but that just accentuates the near infinite sense of vertical layering. Juicy, with slowly circulating currents of cassis and black cherry fruit juice. I find this incredibly eloquent with great pixilated detail, accentuated by the more significant volume of tannin from the perfectly ripe Cabernet fruit picked over a long period of time (they needed to persuade the team to hold off). This has a gravelly, growly depth and gravitas (almost closer to Lafite then Cheval Blanc!). A wonderful and brilliant complementarity of the varietals – it needs the Merlot for the frame, and it needs the Cabernet for aromatic complexity, the lift and the eloquent florality and it needs the Sauvignon for the depth, profundity and the structure which will make this perhaps the longest lasting right-bank wine of the vintage. There are more immediately accessible wines, but this perhaps the most profound from the right-bank. - Colin Hay"
- The Drinks Business
99 / 100
"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% 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."
- Jeff Leve
98 / 100
"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. - Georgina Hindle"
- Decanter
98 / 100
"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. - Jane Anson"
- Jane Anson
98 / 100
"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. - William Kelley"
- The Wine Advocate
Tasting Notes
In 2023, the Manoncourt family celebrates its 130th vintage at Château Figeac. This year also marks the 2nd vintage since Château Figeac was classified as a 1er Grand cru Classé A. This classification acknowledges the sustained work, passion and persistence of an entire team to promote this legendary vineyard to its rightful place at the uppermost echelons. And to achieve this, the investment in time and money for the Manoncourt family, their collaborators and Managing Director Frédéric Faye, has known no bounds; the new winery, inaugurated in spring 2021, is the perfect illustration.
Intense, the nose seduces with its complexity and elegance. The purity of the druit bouquet reflects the perfectyly mastered maturity of the three grape varieties. Each variety brings its own personal touch, with hints of blackcurrant from the Cabernet Sauvignon, a luscious strawberry perfume from the Merlot, and delicate floral notes from the Cabernet Franc. Hovering above the vibrant fruit, a mineral charecter emerges, slightly saline, attesting to the vineyard's gravel soils. Harmony and balance are created by juicy, generous Merlot peppered with the spicy, floral notes of the Cebernets. An incredibly persistent treshness ends the the tasting with great emotion.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity