Chateau Figeac 2005

"This is subtle and complex, showing blackberry, fresh tobacco and light vanilla, with a hint of Indian spices. Full-bodied, with super well-integrated tannins and a finish that lasts for minutes. Refined and classy. The best modern wine from this producer. Best after 2015. "

95 Points

Wine Spectator

"The predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon in Figeac has won out in 2005. It shows in the delicious black currant fruits and very fresh, vibrant acidity. The tannins, curiously, are less apparent—maybe all that fruit overwhelms them. Only on the finish is there some austerity and firmness."

95 Points

Wine Enthusiast

"A silken, elegant merlot, this has a youthful blue tinge to its color and luscious energy to its plummy fruit. It's bold and powerful, but it doesn't feel pushed. The pinpoint detail of the tannins provides a beautiful richness that expands with air. A touch exotic, that richness brings Kobe beef to mind, a match for this wine when it's had some time to mature. "

93 Points

Wine & Spirits

"Good full medium ruby. The nose offers blackcurrant, licorice, graphite, violet, minerals and exotic spices. Broad, suave and fine-grained on the palate, with fleshy but sharply focused flavors of currant, minerals and tobacco. Finishes classically dry and very long. This is St. Emilion with Pauillac and Graves qualities-and a superb vintage for this chateau, whose wine is easy to underrate in the early going."

92 Points

International Wine Cellar

"Owing to its large percentage of Cabernet, Figeac can be a bit tougher than the wines of its neighboring estates, but the ripeness of 2005 affords it more suppleness than normal and a silky, almost seductive manner. Deep, but never overly ripe, it shows a certain charm and finesse even if young and moderately tannic, and, while it is surprisingly approachable for a young Figeac, it will develop famously for some time."

91 Points

Connoisseurs' Guide

"The finest Figeac since the 1990 and 1982, the restrained, but complex 2005 exhibits notes of black olives, new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and sweet cherry and black currant fruit. The wine is medium-bodied with racy tannins as well as a streamlined style built on finesse and delicacy rather than on power and concentration. Consume it over the next 15-20 years."

90 Points

The Wine Advocate