Winemaker Notes
As it slides into the glass, Figeac murmurs like the most outstanding voice of its appellation, with exactly the right tessitura if you know how to pitch it, and a touch of graphite to give it an edge; the energy infused with elegance becomes persistent, reflecting Figeac's desire to be enjoyed again and again. The true dimension of the wines appears with time, as notes of subtly spiced cedarwood offer the absolute quintessence of what a great wine is all about.
Blend: 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc
This wine does not include the blanket 10% tariff imposed in April 2025. When the wines are shippable in fall of 2027, customers will have the option to pay any tariff in place at the time or to keep their wines stored in a temperature-controlled facility free of charge in France.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 33% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, and 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2024 Château Figeac reveals a classic Figeac nose of ripe blue fruits, sappy tobacco, flowers, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it has a fabulous, seamless mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. To have this level of quality in a vintage like 2024 is mind-blowing, and this is one of the top handful of wines in the vintage.
Barrel Sample: 95-97 -
Decanter
Gorgeous fragrance on the nose, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and black cherries, floral roses and iris - you can really smell the Cabernet Franc. Lovely intensity of fruit with such freshness from the start. A burst of acidity and zingy red fruit which then transforms into a soft and creamy mid palate before turning more mineral and crisp on the finish. Really a lovely journey from start to end. Well proportioned, not a light wine. This has a touch of chew with cooling minty liquorice aspects. It’s elegant, leaning into the vintage in terms of density, but wow there is such delicacy and detail here. I love it because it’s so relaxed and so charming and full of fruit. The energy and buzz is just exceptional. I could drink this all day! 8% press wine. 3.66pH
Barrel Sample: 96 -
Vinous
Silky and aromatic, with velvety tannins, the 2024 Figeac is sublime. Floral and savory aromatics meld into a core of blue/purplish fruit, spice, licorice, lavender and menthol. All the elements are so well balanced. The blend is 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, with 8% press wines. Not surprisingly, the 2024 is a very Cabernet-driven Figeac. Production is 60,000 bottles, or 50% of normal, because of low yields and further selection in the cellar. Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 93-96 -
James Suckling
This is very refined with lovely tannins and freshness. Medium-bodied, it has a savory, juicy undertone and a satisfying finish. Some chocolate. A blend of 39% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot and 28% cabernet franc.
Barrel Sample: 94-95 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Figeac is a lovely classic, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackcurrants, minty berries, licorice and pencil shavings, deftly framed by new oak. Medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety, with good depth at the core, powdery tannins and a suave, seamless profile, it's a blend of 33% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc and 39% Cabernet Sauvignon that attained 12.7% alcohol. Figeac was one of those estates that took the risk of waiting to harvest, rejecting just over 20% of the crop in the sorting process to produce a compelling wine despite the challenging conditions.
Barrel Sample: 93-95
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.