CHÂTEAU FIGEAC, SAINT-EMILION
BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2020
Why Buy: Publications continue to count down their Wines of the Year, and we are proud to be able to bring you the No. 4 on James Suckling's list: the 2020 Château Figeac, which not only earned 100 points from Suckling, but also took home a perfect score from The Wine Advocate. Another superlative performance from this star of Saint-Émilion, the only producer in the region to have earned a promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A status in the 2022 classification. (Note: available by the case only.)
What They're Saying: "Mesmerizing," "breathtaking," "magnificent," were just three of the adjectives Suckling reached for in his review, while The Wine Advocate declared it "the finest wine that has been bottled to date at this estate since its renaissance began a decade ago," a "deep and concentrated" wine "with a suave, harmonious profile, vibrant acids, and beautifully-refined structuring tannins."
The Story: Though the 2020 growing season proved challenging for many in Bordeaux, with the region hit by a demoralizing one-two (a long, wet spring giving way to a hot, dry summer), you wouldn't know it to take your first lustrous sip of this beauty. By dint of careful planning, innovative technology, and the extraordinary terroir of Saint Emilion, and thanks, as well, to the superior knowledge and experience of director Frédéric Faye and his team, Figeac overcame the odds stacked against it. Recent changes in harvesting (which now lasts three or four weeks, so that, as The WA wrote, “each parcel of this 41-hectare vineyard can be picked at optimal maturity”), farming (to reduce compaction of the soil), and in the cellar (with the addition of "small tanks" that enable the team "to vinify each parcel separately") have been enormous boosts to Faye and his team, which have worked devotedly, and passionately, to achieve but a single goal. "The objective is to perfect Figeac," The WA has written, "not to change it."
Specs: The 2020 vintage is an almost evenly-divided blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the ever-so-slightly higher proportion of Merlot making it the stylistic leader.
Our Tasting Notes: A majestic Bordeaux, in which everything is held in such balance, and with such control, that you're put in mind of what old-time announcers used to say of certain outfielders, the ones blessed with an economy of motion and a surplus of grace: they make it look easy. Some wines ask you to contemplate them, some to admire them, some to exalt them. This one? It invites you to sit back and enjoy it. And you will, from the vivid and alluring aromatics at the start (black and red fruits, black truffles, cedar, licorice, violets) to the lush and seamless mid-palate to the long (but wonderfully fresh, and alive) finish.
Fun Fact: The earliest-known accounts of the estate go back to the 2nd century, the Gallo Roman era, when a villa was built on the grounds and named after a man called Figeacus.
Our Guarantee: We always buy and source direct, so you can be confident that your wine will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure yours today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2024. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NY, or TN. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Thursday, November 16th, 2023.
