Château-Figeac 2021

Only 29% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Remarkably profound, Cabernet leads the way, with cassis, pepper, licorice and floral notes. On the palate it is dense, perfectly balanced, highly precise, with tannins of the highest quality, silky, highly elegant and with a very long finish. A great 2021.

Deep, complex and precise, what a wine in 2021. Grippy and intense, it captures attention and holds it: the sharp zing of acidity, wet stone minerality, crystalline fruit. Bright and fresh, excellent tannin integration, mid-palate depth and a salty, liquorice twist at the end. You almost want to chew this wine, yet it’s spot-on and totally moreish; freshness is the focus but not a beat is missed with the texture and mouthfeel. No one can be disappointed with this wine!

This wine has beautiful aromas of graphite with plums, berries and some dried flowers. Medium-bodied with juicy fruit and an iron and chocolate undertone. Firm and integrated tannins and a lightly chewy finish. Serious for the vintage, it needs to come around with bottle age. First year in the new winery. Best after 2027.

The 2021 Figeac was bottled in mid-July of the previous year after two months in vat to build more mid-palate. It has a sensual bouquet of pure wild strawberry and raspberry, with pencil box and tobacco notes emanating from the Cabernet component. It seemed a bit closed on the day. The palate is medium-bodied, with a hint of dark chocolate and leather on the entry and fine sapidity throughout, gently fanning out toward a composed, menthol-tinged, refreshing finish.

Floral, energetic, and fresh, this is the perfect example of elegance and class. The nose, with its bouquet of flowers, is further enhanced by cigar wrappers, mint, cherries, plums, black raspberries, cocoa, and espresso. The medium-bodied palate is fresh, with layers of red and dark red fruits, refined textures, and a finish of length and purity, marked by a salty, savory, minty endnote. This is a perfect example of a modern classic wine blending 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, and 29% Merlot. Drink from 2026–2055.

Deep ruby-garnet core fading to purple at the rim. Fine dark forest-berry nuances, delicate savoury notes, a touch of nougat and cherries. Juicy, elegant, fresh and balanced palate, subtle sweet fruit extract, ripe tannins, finessed and already approachable, mineral, very precise, with good length and a salty finish; a great companion at the table.

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Figeac checks in as 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, with the rest Merlot, raised in 100% new barrels. Sitting at 13.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.65, it’s a gorgeous 2021 with both red and black currant fruit, classic tobacco, lead pencil, and violet aromatics, a medium to full body, beautiful tannins, and near-flawless balance. It’s clearly among the crème de la crème of the vintage. I’d happily drink a bottle today, yet it will benefit from 4–6 years of bottle age and will cruise for at least two decades. It’s pure class.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (29% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% vol. alcohol) Floral, fresh, elegant, complex, finely mineral bouquet—redcurrants, blueberries, subtle cassis, mint, delicately candied fruit. Tightly knit, elegant, finely textured, fresh palate with vibrant, precise fruit, very fine tannins, varied, powerful, fresh aromatics, a finely concentrated, elegant structure, and a very long, powerful, fresh finish with many sweet lingering notes. Has room to improve further.

(29% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alc. by vol.) Floral, fresh, elegant, complex, finely mineral bouquet; redcurrants, blueberries, fine cassis, mint, delicately candied fruit. Densely interwoven, elegant, finely structured, fresh palate with powerful, refined fruit, very fine tannins, varied, powerful, fresh aromatics, finely concentrated, elegant structure, very long, powerful, fresh finish with many sweet after-flavors. Can improve further. 19/20 2029 - 2060

These guys have always known how to keep a steady hand on the extraction, and that skill comes into play in 2021. This is such a gorgeous Cabernet Franc‑led expression of the vintage, with iris and violet notes, crushed brambled fruits and a high‑smoke aromatic. Subtle but savoury, mouthwatering, with gentle complexity; they leaned in and leaned back with the challenges of the vintage. Delicious quality, for earlier drinking with a ton of pleasure. One of my wines of the vintage En Primeur, and it remains so. The last vintage before promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A. No fining, and extremely light filtration. 100% new oak. Romain Jean‑Pierre, technical director. 38 hl/ha yield, harvest from September 21 to October 19. First vintage with the new cellar.

A blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, and 29% Merlot, the 2021 Figeac has a deep garnet-purple color. After a little shaking, notes of juicy blackberries, crushed blackcurrants, and black raspberries erupt from the glass, followed by touches of violets, licorice, and cedar chest, plus a waft of dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate vibrates with energetic black and red berry layers, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. Beautiful!

Naturally, Château-Figeac exudes floral and graphite notes, with a nuanced, complex aromatics profile. Great refinement on the nose and in texture. The fine substance on the palate unfolds with incredible energy. There is a singular geometry here, an octagonal shape around the tongue that leaves a granular sensation. A licorice-tinged finish of great elegance triggers a soft, persistent, and exceptional salivation.

The nose is like a well of bottomless depth, with notes of purple fruit—sweet and beguiling—and juniper berry, offering a promising juiciness and an icy freshness. The juiciness promised on the nose comes bounding onto the palate, with a mouthwatering succulence that renews itself again and again until you think it will reach its peak and settle, like an avalanche. The wine is very supple, like perfectly smooth skin, and leaves a pleasant bitterness on the lips. At the end of the tasting, your mouth feels numbed yet invigorated!

A great deal of subtlety and detail in this bouquet, where nuances of licorice and elderberry, followed by a touch of garrigue, create exceptional, filigreed complexity. I also find a hint of minerality and nuances of graphite. The palate feel is silky and precise. The tannins, combining power and elegance, are in tune with the tension of the acidic structure. The latter provides solid backbone and imparts freshness. Elegance is the guiding thread of this wine; even the tannins’ austerity becomes an asset, championing the aromatics and the persistence of the finish. A wine that presents itself like a gentleman, with class, and that moreover knows how far it can go: very far! When slender and dense traits meet, the result is convincing.

95–97. Barrel Sample. The wine is fresh with a fine structure from the 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc in the blend. It is a structured wine, light while also showing ripe black currant fruits and an edge of spice. With its fine acidity at the end, this is an excellent reflection of the year.