2021 Chateau Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 750ml

Arriving in 2024.

One of my absolute favourite wines in 2021 with Figeac's star power clearly on show. Amazing aromatic complexity on the nose; dark chocolate with perfume from the Cabernet Franc - pink flowers, red cherry touches vanilla and cinnamon - such a seductive smell. Pure and focused - so smooth and sleek with a clear tang to the palate. Quite taut, so defined and pure. The minerality comes through the sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit giving that chalky, salty flavour and texture on the palate. Everything is precise and in the right place. You can tell this is ripe, the concentration is there in the fruit, alongside such bright freshness but also these fun and playful red fruit flavours with lively acidity. Classic Bordeaux style with vibrancy, clarity and harmony - you feel the St-Emilion terroir and the understated glamour. This is an epic wine, a brilliant Figeac and contender for wine of the Right Bank. (GH) 

The 2021 Figeac was picked from September 21 until October 19 and matured, as usual, in 100% new oak. It has a very pure, elegant bouquet, the Cabernet Sauvignon imparting subtle pencil lead notes, blackberry and briar, almost understated at first but gaining vigor with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and just the right amount of sapidity. There is unerring symmetry about this Figeac, which is extremely focused yet unconcerned about showing off. There is lovely piquancy on the finish. Unequivocally one the finest Right Bank wines in 2021. Frédéric Faye continues to guide Figeac to the pinnacle of the appellation. (NM) 

Violets, roses, cigar wrapper, espresso, cherries, plums, blackberries and currants create the attention-seeking perfume. Lively and fresh, the wine is perfectly balanced between its elegant nature, vibrant red fruits, silky textures, length and purity. The fruit has a sweetness along with salinity that is impossible to miss. The wine is a slow build on your palate. So you do not notice it at first. But with an intake of air, the wine begins slowly expanding in the finish. This is a perfect example of a modern classic wine blending 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc and 29% Merlot. 13% ABV, 3.65% pH. The harvest took place September 21 - October 19, making 2021 not only one of the longest harvests in the history of the estate, but also one of the latest vintages they have ever recorded. Both choices were the key to the vintages success here. Of equal importance, 2021 marks the debut vintage for the estate's new, state-of-the-art cellars. Drink from 2026-2055.