Château Figeac, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2025
Frederic Faye's fantastic Figeac 2025 is composed of 38% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 32% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested between the 1st of September and the 19th. Yields were a paltry 25 hl/ha and the alcohol is a modest 13%. An extended pre-fermentation cold maceration extracted vibrant aromatics, deep, glossy colour and refined tannins. There's a real aromatic precision here, high-definition griotte and morello cherry, blackcurrant, raspberries, tobacco, peonies and graphite. The palate is equally seductive, full of vivid, creamy damsons and summer berries mixed with suggestions of sandalwood, clove and nutmeg. It finishes with vibrant cassis and long, salty, mineral-infused tannins.
critic reviews
The 2025 Figeac was cropped at 25 hl/ha between 1 and September, matured entirely in new oak as usual. The Cabernet components shape the aromatics at the moment, with a mixture of blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, touches of tobacco and dark powdered chocolate, all very precise and, if anything, remarkably understated considering the warmth of that summer. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, slightly granular tannins. Darker fruit than normal, nicely structured, linear and correct, this is a Figeac that veers towards the more elegant side in Saint-Émilion. Just a touch of bitterness on the finish neatly counterbalances the contained opulence. If it ends up at the top of my banded score, I would not be surprised. 13.1% alcohol.
Inky colour with violet reflections, swirling cooca bean and espresso, blood orange, baked plum, blueberry, blackberries, chalky tannins, palma violets, peony, iris flowers, slate-strewn tannic architecture, intense and concentrated, great stuff with clear ageing potential. Harvest September 1 to 19, 3.64 pH, 25hl/ha yield, 3.64ph. Frederic Faye director. No deleafing during the growing season, and reduced canopy height, and a cool vinifcation approach. 90% Grand Vin, 10% Petit Figeac.
The 2025 Figeac shows exceptional potential, unwinding in the glass with aromas of ripe cherries and minty blackberries mingled with sweet spices, pencil lead and burning embers. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and deep, with terrific concentration, sweet tannins, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish, this integrated and balanced Figeac is a serious wine, built for the long haul. Fully 90% of production went into the grand vin this year, and it's a blend of 38% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 32% Cabernet Sauvignon.