Château Figeac 2020

The 2020 vintage in Saint-Émilion

Vintage benchmark: 96/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: An early, dry year gave splendid wines, which many rank above 2018.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Saint-Émilion. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

An attractive cardinal-red colour with bright glints. The nose reveals succulent, ripe red berry fruit aromas with spicy notes of delicate white pepper. On the palate, the entry is silky smooth with particularly velvety, elegant tannins. Delicate floral aromas of rose and violet mingle with more concentrated notes of blackcurrant and strawberry compote. Château-Figeac 2020 is precise and pure, displaying a lovely overall balance, great finesse in the finish, and an inimitable length of flavour.

The vintage

A precocious vintage from start to finish: two to three weeks early, from budding through harvest. After a remarkably rainy autumn, the winter months were warm and dry, then a wet spring replenished the water reserves necessary for the vines during the summer. Bud-break took place between March 15th and 21st, some two weeks ahead of normal. Cool, rainy spells in April and May increased fungal disease pressure. Flowering took place in optimal conditions around May 14th, ten days ahead of the ten-year average. Véraison began in mid-July during very hot weather.

The summer was hot with several heatwaves, with highs over 40°C on August 7th. Over 54 days, between June 19th and August 11th, only 6.5 mm of rain was recorded, but the vines' deep root systems ensured a constant supply of water. Light de-leafing, superficial ploughing and green harvesting adapted to the potential of each individual vine. The ripening in August took place in ideal conditions: high temperatures, long periods of sunshine and cooler nights than in July. The pips were ripe from the month of August.

Harvest began on September 4th and took place over four weeks, until October 1st. The blend is anticipated in the vineyard: certain plots are harvested early to preserve aromatic freshness, others later to bring flesh and texture.

Blend of the 2020 vintage

Winemaking

Gentle, sulphur-free vinification, in line with the phenolic ripeness of the grapes; each vat has its own vinification itinerary.

Terroir

Figeac is the largest estate in Saint-Emilion, covering 54 hectares. Alongside its 40 hectares of vines, the variety of its landscape contributes to what is now called a natural balance, or "biodiversity". Figeac has large open spaces that add to the majesty of the place and allow wildlife and flora to thrive. Figeac has received a true gift from nature: an enviable Bordeaux climate, an exceptional relief made up of 3 fine gravel mounds, and a soil reputed to hold the largest gravels of the area. This magnificent terroir is the basis for the estate's ranking among the Premiers Grands Crus of Saint-Emilion.