Chateau Figeac 2023

WEINWISSER: "41 % Merlot, 32 % Cabernet Franc, 27 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5 Vol.-%, 45 hl/ha, Lese vom 06.09 - 05.10 mit einer zwölftägigen Pause zwischen Merlot und Cabernet. Verführerisches Bouquet, ein satter Strauß Veilchen und Iris, roter Johannisbeernektar und heller Tabak. Im zweiten Ansatz frischgepflückte Himbeeren, Graphit und rote Cassiswürze. Am puren saftigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, energiegeladener Rasse, engmaschigem Körper und herrlicher feinsalziger Extraktfülle. Im konzentrierten aromatischen langanhalten Finale mit Heidelbeere, hellem Tabak und royaler Adstringenz. "Terroir, Cabernet & Finesse" – sind die drei Schlagworte für Frédéric Faye. Für mich neben Cheval-Blanc der beste Wein aus St.-Émilion und neben Lafite und Le Pin einer der Weine des Jahrgangs! Es handelt sich bei diesem Jahrgang um den 130. der Familie Manoncourt."

VINUM: "Glasklar, aristokratisch, erhaben, Cassis, rote Beeren, Veilchen, würzige Noten, ein Gedicht; hochelegant am Gaumen, Tannin wie Samt und Seide, die Frucht ist delikat, auf den Punkt gereift, das Holz perfekt verpackt, grosser Spannungsbogen, mit Charakter, Frische, Salinität und Länge; schlicht ein Hit!"

DECANTER: "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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "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."

JAMES SUCKLING: "The density and finesse to this is terrific, offering blackberry, dark chocolate, walnut and hazelnut, as well as currant and sandalwood. Orange peel, too. Full-bodied and compact with a superb core of thick, velvet-textured tannins and a juicy finish. Extremely long. 41% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 27% cabernet sauvignon."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Intensive schwarze Beerenfrucht, nach Brombeeren, ein Hauch von Cassis, zart florale Nuancen, einladendes Bukett. Komplex, saftig, kräftig, zart nach Heidelbeeren, präsente, eingebundene Tannine, salzige Mineralität im Abgang, bleibt sehr gut haften, ein stoffiger und zugleich finessenreicher Speisenbegleiter, sicheres Reifepotenzial."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 Figeac has a pH of 3.68 and it is deep garnet-purple in color. It prances out of the glass with out-going scents of black raspberries and fresh blackcurrants, opening out to reveal an undercurrent of pencil shavings, rose bud tea, iron ore, and wood smoke. The medium-bodied palate delivers a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and beautiful tension supporting the taut, muscular black fruits, finishing with a long-lingering mineral firework display."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2023 Château Figeac is Merlot-dominated but includes 32% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the élevage all in new French oak. Classic Figeac purple fruits, tobacco, leafy herbs, violets, and graphite all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full body, a remarkable sense of purity and precision, fine-grained tannins, and a gorgeous finish. Hitting 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.68, it's a beautiful wine in the vintage that shows the absolute class of this château today."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "A typical Figeac with sweetness and freshness combined. Cabernet-dominated on the nose, the expression pure and persistent. Palate sweet, round and full but structured. Finishes on a fresh, stony note. Drink 2032 – 2048"