Château Figeac

Wine Advocate (Neal Martin) 98-100/100 > The 2016 Figeac is a blend of 36% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked from 23 September until 20 October at 49 hectoliters per hectare with 13.9% alcohol. The acidity is 3.67 pH, and it matured in 100% new oak (focused on five cooperages). This is a property that opened a new chapter in 2013, when Michel Rolland's services as a master blender have been called upon and engendered far greater harmony between the three grape varieties, now all singing from the same hymn sheet. It has a crisp blackberry nose, a little closed at first, opening nicely in the glass and offering raspberry coulis, pencil box and subtle mint aromas—classic Figeac in many ways. The palate is extraordinarily well balanced with a fine lattice of tannin sculpted to perfection. There is a slight edginess to this Figeac that I adore, the Cabernets very expressive, more so than the 2015, with graphite infusing every pore of the black fruit. This Figeac has an outstanding structure and a saline finish that beckons you back for another sip. The 2015 Figeac was stunning and the 2016 no less. Tasted on four separate occasions, and in the end, only one (banded) score became inevitable. // Jane Anson (Decanter) 98/100 2016 keeps Figeac on the trajectory set out in recent vintages, and is proof once again that power does not have to mean sacrificing precision and juiciness if it is done right. This is a great wine, with purity and focus from the balanced black fruit delivery. You don't feel anything drop through the palate - each element is held in suspension and it finishes strong with a mouthwatering flourish. 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak. 3.67pH.