chateau figeac 1984

the history of the estate is forever linked to that of another 1er grand cru classé: in the 1830's, figeac parted with a choice 30-hectare parcel which, 20 years later, gave birth to cheval blanc. and yet, is château figeac the most medocan of the saint-emilions? contrary to most of the other grands crus classés of the appellation, which are located on clay-limestone soils, château figeac benefits from a gravelly soil, which is characteristic of the médoc. from this atypical geological condition, figeac derives an uncommon elegance. another distinction: while the whole of the appellation is mainly planted with merlot, figeac's grape varieties are mainly cabernet (70%, half franc, half sauvignon). but these specificities are not the only reason for the success of the estate. the action of the man has largely contributed to it: from 1943, thierry manoncourt (who died in 2010) managed his property with a master's hand. having chosen a scientific approach to viticulture, he inaugurated the stainless steel vat, as well as many other technical processes that were followed by his peers. since the 1990s, thierry manoncourt had gradually left the operational management of the estate to his daughter laure and son-in-law eric d'aramon, while remaining very present until his death in 2010. since 2012, château figeac has opened a new chapter. the family has added the skills of jean-valmy nicolas as co-manager since 2013. frédéric faye, who has been present at figeac since 2002, became general manager in 2013 and is assisted by the technical director romain jean-pierre, the vineyard manager christophe lafon and the cellar master jean albino. aged 100% in new barrels, the wine of château-figeac, 1er grand cru classé a of saint-emilion, is a skilful blend of bordeaux grape varieties such as cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc and merlot. when the cabernet-sauvignon brings a mineral substance, the cabernet-franc offers itself with elegance and the merlot seduces with its charm and roundness. when tasted, this unique wine is tannic but seductive from its early youth. it then evolves into a concentrated, rich, fine and silky whole, offering sweet aromas of cedar, black fruit and mint.