Farr Vintners Logo

Figeac 2009

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon
Also available in the following mixed case:

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Figeac

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2009 Figeac is a gorgeous wine that is really coming into its own. It has quite a precocious bouquet with wild strawberry, blood orange, fig jam, marmalade and gravelly aromas courtesy of the Cabernets. There is real depth on what is quite lush aromatics. The palate is beautifully balanced, very pure with a velvet texture, plenty of ripe red fruit, white pepper, clove, blood orange and kirsch notes, building wonderful towards a powerful yet controlled finish. This is drinking supremely well now, but it will cruise at high altitude for a number of years. Tasted at the château.

94
Neal Martin, vinous.com, December 2021

The aromas in this are amazing, with blueberries, blackberries and fresh mushrooms. Black olives. So aromatic. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and lovely depth of ripe fruit. Balanced. Wild flavors on the finish of, meat, berries and forest fruits. Hints of decadence. 33% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon. Best Figeac ever. Try after 2020.

98
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2012

The 2009 Figeac is a blend of 35% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot. Deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, it sings of dried cherries, mulberries, and raspberry coulis with hints of dusty soil, black tea, rose oil, and sandalwood. Medium-bodied, it is elegant and lively in the mouth with maturing dried berry and exotic spices flavors and a powdery texture, finishing long and minerally.

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, May 2022

The depths of this wine are evident from the first moment on the nose. Heads straight towards liqourice, chocolate, cassis, with slate-strewn tannins that continue to hold everything in place at 13 years old. Things soften as it opens, heading towards cigar box, raspberry leaf, smoked earth. A lovely Figeac with balance and poise that I have enjoyed from the first moment of tasting En Primeur. Harvest stretching for almost one month from September 22 to October 19, 40hl/h yield. 100% new oak or ageing.

97
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, March 2022

Paler than most. Luscious, opulent nose - very come-hither. Cool and fresh. Complete. Still a bit simple but there are no excesses here. Just slightly timid on the palate. Real juice though - not exaggerated. Sweet and juicy and friendly even if not the most dramatic. Dry end. Will get there. As discreet and distinctive as usual. Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2017-2032.

17+
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2010

One of the great names of Saint Emilion whose wines exude class and sophistication rather than raw power. Notoriously difficult to judge when tasting en primeur because of the unusually high Cabernet Sauvignon component. The blend is around 40% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc - a rare example of a fairly even blend of all three classic Bordeaux grape varieties. This wine sometimes shows a slightly green character when tasted alongside some of the more "blockbuster" style of some of the neighbours but it invariably matures into classic Saint Emilion. The 2009 is particularly ripe for Figeac with a sweet ripe core of fruit yet balanced and Medoc-like in style with cedary notes. Very classy, with weight and depth - should develop into something very good. We can't remember tasting a better Figeac en primeur.

94+
Farr Vintners, November 2009

Distinctive, with atypical (for St.-Emilion) force and drive to the black currant, roasted cedar and maduro tobacco flavors, which are supported by a dense, loam-tinged structure. Terrific roasted espresso, ganache and fig paste notes wait in reserve. Very muscular, but with the cut for balance. Best from 2017 through 2035.-J.M.

96
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Insider (Vol 8, 3), January 2012

There is an attractive racy freshness on the nose with a mix of bright red fruits. Bramble and black cherry take over at the start of the palate the mix of flavours giving real complexity. Towards the back the ripeness of the fruit and the rounded tannins give it a fleshy richness. Drink 2020-2050.

91/95
Derek Smedley MW, April 1991

The high percentage of Cabernet is the key to the success of Figeac in 2009. Unlike some badly over-blown wines in St Emilion, this is poised and beautifully balanced, with the perfume of the Cabernet Franc complementing the structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the plush fruit of the Merlot. The wine has a delightful rigour about it. One to cellar for 15+ years.

97
Tim Atkin MW, April 2010

Figeac to a T %u2013 long, fresh and distinctly Médocain in style. Fragrant, cassis-dark fruit aroma and flavour. Pure and exact, no false notes. Drink 2018-2040.

18.5
James Lawther MW, Decanter.com, April 2010

Even in this super-ripe vintage Figeac retains its usual red bell pepper aroma (from the cabernet sauvignon grape) and that adds a light touch to the opulent fruit cake and spice character. The full fine tannins beautifully support the rich palate and make the finish very long and plush. A great 2009! Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

97
Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, March 2019
Read more tasting notes...

The 2009 Figeac has one of the more Oriental-inspired bouquets amongst its peer group, one that is extremely well defined with scents of pressed rose petals and rolled tobacco emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. Fresh and vibrant although disappointingly, it cuts off dramatically on the finish. Maybe with time it will just broaden out a little? I hope so because otherwise this is splendid. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. 2023 - 2040

94
Neal Martin, vinous.com, March 2019

The 2009 Figeac is a wine that was so inconsistent in its youth, though miraculously since 2013 it has developed into a gorgeous Saint-Émilion, a "late flowerer" so to speak. Here it has a wonderful bouquet with blackberry, gravel, tobacco and a little more glycerine than previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated ripe tannin, a bewitching marriage of Merlot and Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon with an unusually plush and velvety smooth finish. It should give three decades, maybe four decades of unadulterated drinking pleasure. Tasted at Christies' Figeac dinner with Marie-France Manoncourt. 2019 - 2033

94
Neal Martin, vinous.com, July 2018

Tasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property and two or three times over the subsequent 12 months. The 2009 Figeac has shown very variably in the past, although my last encounter in 2013 was very positive. How about now? The 2009 seems to have closed down a little since I last tasted it: gravelly and smoky, what you might describe as austere for the vintage. Stylistically it is actually similar to the 2008 Figeac with an appealing savory entry, grainy tannin, a pinch of black pepper and a slightly clipped, but focused finish. This is one of the few Right Bank wines whereby the terroir is more expressive than the growing season, so it will appeal to those that appreciate the style of Figeac, though not necessarily to those that prefer the voluptuousness of the 2009s. Additionally, comparing it directly to the 2010, I suspect that it might not have quite as much longevity as the succeeding vintage. That said, this is still a knockout Saint Emilion that is going to bestow a lot of drinking pleasure over the years. Drink: 2018 - 2035

94
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (226), August 2016

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. This is probably one of those most controversial scores. After a topsy-turvy showing in barrel followed by an enervated display just after bottling, under single blind conditions this bottle verifies one of my showings in barrel. There is some lovely Cabernet Franc on the nose here: bay leaf and hints of burnt toast infusing the ripe black fruits. This has real character and charm. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins. This is nicely balanced: fresh and very composed on the finish with savoury hints beginning to emerge. Classy. Could this be a wine that you have to treat on a bottle-by-bottle basis? Tasted January 2013.

95
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, July 2013

Really fabulous on the nose, with sweet milk chocolate, flowers, currant and plum. Full-bodied, with incredible length. The tannins are so silky, but they are warm and cuddly. You just want to hug it. Powerful but so attractive.The blend is one third each of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

97/100
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2010

The medium garnet colored 2009 Figeac features a very pretty perfume of rose hip tea, lilacs and cinnamon stick over a core of red and black currant preserves plus hints of dried herbs and sweaty saddles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers bags of savory fruit layers with plenty of floral sparks, framed by rounded tannins, finishing on a earthy note. 2020 - 2040

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2019), March 2019
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.