Château-Figeac 2018

A stunningly delicate, fruit-and-spice bouquet, striking among the other wines tasted, seductive and precise; palpable fullness right from the attack, as velvety as a Pomerol yet fresh thanks to silky tannins, with great power and length; not a classic Figeac, to be sure, but clearly a child of its vintage. Outstanding.

Sleek and tightly focused, this is a racy style marked by a pure beam of cassis and cherry purée and infused with red tea, bergamot and bay hints. Very fresh and refined through the finish, with a long chalky thread lingering after everything else. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2038. 10,830 cases made.

This still exudes the freshness and exuberance that the wine had during the primeur stage with its scents of blackcurrant, raspberry, and crushed strawberry along with a delicate floral touch. The new oak is perfectly integrated while imparting a subtle smoky note. The attack is surprisingly creamy, announcing a full-bodied texture wrapped around perfectly polished tannins allied with finely judged acidity that together provide thrust leading to a finish that is intense yet light-footed and infused with freshness. This is a truly remarkable wine that will surely develop an even more velvety mouthfeel in years to come. Bravo.

Great minty coolness and focus for this vintage! So much vitality and drive! I love the elegant dryness of this wine, which has only a hint of the opulence of this vintage. Very long and energetic finish with wonderful, herbal and mineral freshness. Excellent potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.

37% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, pH 3.7 – “classic for Figeac on gravel soils” and “superb Cabernet Sauvignon,” says technical director Frédéric Faye. Barrel sample. Inky with a purple rim. A little bit spicy on the nose, scented and ripe but not overripe, that touch of nutmeg I found on Nénin. Ripe and pure. Very smooth and rich on the palate, remarkably soft when you know the quantity of tannins. Smooth and accessible, rounded and luxurious but balanced by freshness. Grainy texture but fine-grained. Second tasting of a cooler sample (the temporary tasting room was a tent and the samples warmed up quickly when the sun was out): fragrant with small black berries, opening to a more perfumed beauty, still some spice but also a hint of roses. Greater finesse and freshness at a cooler temperature. Concentrated but so round on the finish. More Cabernet Sauvignon would have given hardness on the finish, says Faye. Cool chalky finesse. Fine-grained persistence and freshness with a surprising juiciness on the finish. (JH)

The 2018 Figeac continues not to put a toe, let alone a foot, wrong under head winemaker Frédéric Faye. The bottle is initially closed, and in fact it was only the following morning that it began to unfold and reveal its true character. Quintessential Figeac on the nose, it offers blackberry, briar, pencil shavings courtesy of the Cabernet Sauvignon, and a touch of terracotta. Beautifully defined, as we have come to expect these days; I might well confuse it for a Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied and has soaked up the 100% new oak. Lithe tannins render this more approachable than the Figeacs of yesteryear, yet it maintains the same DNA. Elegant and refined, it gently fans out with pure, slightly tertiary black fruit and traces of clove and bay leaf. To quote my conclusion from barrel, it is still “cool, calm and collected” on the finish. Divine.

Inky dark in color, the wine offers a new aromatic display featuring nutmeg, spice, espresso, blackberry, black cherry, and cigar box notes. Opulent, velvety, rich, and deep, the fruit comes in layers, coating your palate. The salinity in the finish stands out in the long series of endnotes. With the 2018, you need patience, so wait at least 5-6 more years and enjoy the wine over the next 30 or more years after that! The wine blends 37% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2060.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate watery rim. Subtle touch of precious wood, tobacco savouriness, still shy at first, background with fine dark forest berry confit, needs air to reveal itself, notes of preserved cherries and candied orange zest. Complex, fine sweetness in the texture, taut, fine savoury tannins, some nougat on the finish, has great length, ripe blackberries and cherries in the aftertaste, some gingerbread on the finish, peppery touch, convincing finish, certain ageing potential. (2030 - 2065).

Reminiscent of the 2016 with its incredible purity and elegance, the 2018 Château Figeac offers a terrific perfume of crème de cassis, redcurrants, dried earth, tobacco, lead pencil, spring flowers, and exotic spice-driven nuances. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it’s flawlessly balanced, has silky, polished tannins, and a stunning sense of purity. It doesn’t have the sexiness of the 2015, but it’s very much in the style of the 2018 vintage with its pure, elegant, haute couture-like style. And it doesn’t show a hint of its 100% new oak élevage. Give bottles 4–5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 20–30 years. It’s not the biggest or richest Saint‑Emilion, yet the balance, finesse, and elegance are something to behold. I think it’s going to check in behind the 2015 (and maybe the 2019) when all is said and done, but it’s unquestionably one of the greatest Figeac of the past 20–30 years. The blend is 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, raised all in new oak. Another big “Bravo” to the talented director, Frédéric Faye!

Deep purple with an opaque core and a delicate ruby rim. A regal perfume of freshly picked Alpine blueberries, wild raspberry jam, and noble cassis spice. On the second approach: licorice, pale malt, Burley tobacco, and lemon thyme. On the sublime palate, a revelation: a texture like velvet and silk, cocoa-like tannins, perfect support; a magical breeding gives the whole an incredible harmony, a model athlete without an extra gram of fat. In the cascading finish, St.-Émilion sets off fireworks: blackberry, blackcurrant, and dark graphite lend depth and finesse, while it impresses with an incredibly long aftertaste. It already utterly enchanted me during the en primeur tastings and, upon release, it is also the best wine from St.-Émilion!

Kunz barrel sample 19: (37% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% vol. alcohol, 39 hl/ha) Fresh, dense, complex, velvety, finely creamy bouquet, strawberries, subtle cassis, delicate graphite. Tightly interwoven, elegant, multi-layered palate with a finely creamy texture, powerful, varied, sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, a subtly muscular, finely creamy structure, fine sweet fruit, and a very long, subtly opulent, aromatic, fresh finish with many sweet lingering notes. Has room to improve.

(37% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% alc./vol., 39 hl/ha) Fresh, dense, complex, velvety, finely creamy bouquet, strawberries, delicate cassis, subtle graphite. A tightly woven, elegant, multi-layered, finely creamy palate with powerful, varied, sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, a finely creamy, delicately muscular structure, fine sweet fruit, a very long, subtly opulent, aromatic, fresh finish with many sweet echoes. Can improve further. 19/20 2026 - 2055

Love this vibrant, succulent and welcoming Figeac, great reflection of an excellent vintage in St Emilion. Has plenty of juicy damson and raspberry fruits on the opening beats, with gourmet black pepper and smoked caramel, and velvety tannins that wrap themselves around the fruit and carry it right through the palate. Drawn out finish also, with flecks of lemongrass acidity and slate minerality. Well balanced yet succulent, a little atypical perhaps of Figeac in its upfront charms, but hard to disagree with - and the mint leaf finish brings things back into line. Harvest September 17 to October 12, 100% new oak for ageing.

The 2018 Figeac has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a lot of coaxing to reveal notes of minted blackberries, black cherry preserves, and boysenberries, plus hints of pencil lead, menthol, and cloves. Full-bodied, the palate is firm and fine-grained—built like a brick house—with tightly wound fruit and a long, minerally finish. It needs time!

An absolute wine, refined in every respect, with greater aromatic freshness than the legendary 2016 and a purity in the finish brought by sublime Cabernets.

An invitation to travel, with a sumptuous nose of quivering fruits, ranging from red to black with shades of blue. Notes of blackcurrant, elderberry, and redcurrant unfold into soft, heady flowers. On the palate, absolute magic begins with breathtaking delicacy and concludes with magnificently restrained power. First in a Figeac trio at the pinnacle of this beautiful terroir, the 2018 has the sensuality of luxurious black lace, cinching its slender, sumptuous, and chiselled body. Voluptuous black fruit of incredible freshness yields gracefully to swirls of exotic spices and mineral accents, leading to a haunting finish.

Superb bouquet, bright with complexity and displaying many facets. It reveals floral and spicy nuances with scents of violets and black pepper, followed by fruity notes such as blueberries, raspberries and cherries, all bringing plenty of freshness. Very fine tannic framework on the palate, where the wine stands out for the finesse of its tannins and the pedigree of its structure. So much freshness, vigor and energy. One could speak of delicacy—or even a kind of ‘delicaress’—in line with the tannic power. The juicy touch becomes a saving grace; together with the lively acidity and the powerful yet polished tannins (they’re well-mannered!), this results in an exceptional symbiosis and an endlessly fruity persistence on the finish, where cherry notes reappear to underscore the aromatic finesse. This is a truly great Figeac.

The nose is racy, elegant, and offers lovely definition, fine complexity, precision, beautiful purity of fruit, refined concentration, a fine grain, as well as concentration with elegance and complexity. It reveals notes of vibrant blackberry, small blue berries and, more subtly, graphite and vibrant blackcurrant, combined with hints of ripe black plum, toast, nutmeg, as well as a discreet touch of flowers and pepper, and an imperceptible hint of camphor. The palate is fruity, fresh, balanced, suave, and offers fine definition, purity of fruit, depth, elegance, fleshiness/juiciness, power, a lovely touch, a certain straightness (with finesse) and a fine sense of detail. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/fresh/ripe blackcurrant and blueberry, and, more delicately, vibrant/fresh small black fruits, combined with touches of small red fruits (cherry, raspberry), as well as subtle hints of toast, chocolate, bright redcurrant, graphite, caramelization, toasted hazelnut, discreet touches of vanilla, cornflower, lily, racy minerality, and very discreet hints of sweet blond tobacco and gentle spices. The tannins are well-defined, elegant, very finely firm and racy. Beautiful persistence and length. A subtle chew and a hint of crushed almond on the finish.

Logo on the cork: CB Tasted one month after bottling. Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Highly aromatic nose, fruity, suave, creamy, and spicy. Dense on the attack, fleshy and extremely aromatic, this wine develops with power yet remains consistently measured in its tannic support. It delights the palate, finishing long, sapid, dynamic, and deep at the same time, with a very fine grain.

97–99. Barrel Sample. This is a rich, velvet-textured wine. The Cabernet duo in the blend gives this wine immense structure and brilliant acidity. The perfumed, black currant fruits are layered with the acidity and crisp freshness. The wine finishes with some formidable tannins for the future.