Château-Figeac 2009

A refined and rich Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé by Château-Figeac

The estate

As a Premier Grand Cru Classé, Château-Figeac embodies the excellence of Saint-Emilion's fine wines throughout the world. Château-Figeac has belonged to the Manoncourt family since 1892.

The vineyard

Château-Figeac enjoys an exceptional location, to the west of the Saint-Emilion appellation, on the fringe of the Pomerol appellation. The estate's vineyard covers 40 hectares of vines that are planted on three different gravelly hills. Respect for biodiversity and the flora and fauna are at the heart of the estate's concerns. The grape varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The vintage

The 2009 vintage was marked by a particularly cold winter. Although the end of January was rainy, February and March were dry. The budburst was late due to the cool temperatures and began on April 2nd. A hail storm on May 13th spared the estate's vineyards, and the month of May was characterised by optimal weather conditions, enabling the smooth vegetative development. Flowering was even for each of the grape varieties, as was veraison. During August and September, the hot and dry conditions did not cause any major water stress and the significant temperature variations refined the grape's ripeness. The manual harvest lasts almost a month and is carried out based on the ripeness levels of each plot.

The vinification and ageing

The grapes are harvested by hand, with the utmost care, and are optically sorted in order to keep only the highest quality grapes. Vinification in wooden and stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged for 19 months in French oak barrels (100% new oak).

The blend

1/3 Merlot, 1/3 Cabernet Franc, 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Château-Figeac 2009: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Fresh and well-balanced, this fine Saint-Emilion wine is alluring due to its intensity, its fine tannins, its balance and its beautiful aromatic freshness.