Meet the Château… Figeac

Continuing our ‘Meet the Château’ series, we stay on the Right Bank, finding out more about Château Figeac in Saint-Émilion. Part of our ground-breaking Bordeaux Collection, Figeac is one of the 14 Premier Grand Cru Classé in the region.

Saint-Émilion

Steeped in impressive history, Château Figeac is one of the longest-known estates in Bordeaux, with the Figeacus family giving the place its name in the second century. The Saint-Émilion appellation was first officially classified in 1955 and is regularly amended – with the most recent revision of the classification in 2022.

Quoting Jane Anson’s summary of Saint-Émilion in her masterful ‘Inside Bordeaux’ book: “Stunning and frustrating in equal measure, this appellation’s wines vary from fragrant and delicate, to austere and thrillingly mineral, to voluptuous, powerful and heavily oaked. It’s hard to think of any region in the Bordeaux with quite so many different styles, partly due to terroir and partly due to winemaking choices.”

The place

Jane writes: “The Manoncourt family arrived in 1892, but Thierry Manoncourt – who took over in 1949 and died in 2010 – was the first to live here full-time, and it was he who really set about establishing Figeac as the ‘equal’ of its neighbour Cheval Blanc.”

These neighbours share numerous terroir similarities. On the border of Pomerol, Figeac has large areas of gravel set across three outcrops – ranging from shallow layers to sites where it reaches seven metres deep.

“Manoncrout was one of the first owners on the Right Bank to carry out serious terroir studies; as a result, he planted high levels of Cabernet,” Jane writes. “They have replanted extensively over recent years, aiming to reach a field blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Planted in 1921, the most venerable vines are close to a century old; while the overall average is closer to 40, with new plantings made through massal selection.”

In the cellars

Jane notes that Manoncourt was one of the first on the Right Bank to use stainless steel tanks to vinify his wines in the 70s. The wine today is aged entirely in new oak, with fermentation in both wood and stainless steel.

No stranger to change, a renovation of the cellars, tasting rooms, barrel-cellar and reception was completed in 2021. This new, 5,000 m² semi-underground winery is equipped with custom made stainless steel and wooden vats. The summit of elegance, innovation, and precision, designed to meet the High Environmental Quality standards, it also offers visitors two light and airy tasting rooms. Want to see for yourself? Watch this video. 

Despite these renovations, “Luckily they have left the 24ha of woodland, lakes, bamboo garden and park pretty much untouched, ensuring that this is one of the most beautiful centres of biodiversity in Saint-Emilion,” Jane writes.

In 2013, their 54ha were listed as a “natural wildlife reserve”. Château Figeac committed to ISO 14001 certification in 2015 under the first Environmental Management System for the Bordeaux vineyard and has also gained Level 3 HVE High Environmental Value certification.

“We do not dissociate people and their dignity from vine growing, the environment and our living and built heritage. They are all part of the same thing. There is no other estate like this one, where so much history is bound up with notable figures, an exceptional terroir, a great wine, a culture in its own right and an art of living in which hospitality is ingrained, while at the same time being a well-run business. Nothing is clinical, everything is authentic,” says Frédéric Faye, managing director at Figeac.

The wines

“Figeac has always been a more subtle, classic style of Saint-Émilion than many of its neighbours, but recent years have seen the texture and tannic power amplified, without losing its signature,” Jane notes.

“Deciding the blend is one of the most exciting events of the year,” says Jean Albino, Château Figeac’s cellar master. “It is the moment of truth, when we encounter what the estate’s parcels, in their infinite variety, have yielded. It takes several weeks.”

“Each year, our mission is to take what nature has given us and create the year’s wine, like a composer with a musical score or a painter with a canvas,” says Romain Jean-Pierre, technical director at Château Figeac. “We work as a team, without preconceptions about any particular parcel, drawing on our detailed knowledge of the terroir and the history of previous vintages, guided by our immense respect for the Figeac style. And it is the family who ultimately approve our choices.”

We currently have very limited amounts of Petit Figeac and Figeac available – but keep an eye on our Fine Wine list, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, and get in touch with the team for any special requests at finewinetrade@bibendum.co.uk.