2009 ratings for Figeac
A great vintage ( the best of the century?)

The exceptional weather conditions of the vintage together with the care delivered by our team, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, gave us a warm qualitative welcome from both the Trade and the medias/
Here are some examples:

James Suckling (Wine Spectator): 97-100
"Really fabulous on the nose, with sweet milk chocolate, flowers, currant and plum. Full-bodied,with incredible length. The tannins are so silky, but they are warm and cuddly. You just want to hug it. Powerful but so attractive..."

James Lawther (Decanter) : *****(18,5)
"...fresh and distinctly Médocain in style. Fragrant, cassis-dark fruit aroma and flavour. Pure and exact. No false notes."

Alan Duran (Periodic Review of Wines): 92-94
"This awesome Figeac lingers with nuance and subtility. The impressive, ruby-purple coloured 2009 is even better than its predecessor, the 2008, due to a greater degree of concentration. Toasted bread, scorched earth, cassis, and plum liqueur make the deep perfume which is followed by a fabulous medium to full-body, a finessed mouth-feel, wonderful purity, and stunning definition of plums and cherries. Followers of this wine will be stimulated by its light-footed delivery of flavor. Sensational."

Ch'ng Poh Tiong (Chinese Bordeaux Guide): ****1/2
"Blueberry/pink guava/herbaceous fruit. Ripe fruit with ripe, round tannins. Freshness on the finish. Medium-plus-ish bodied. Balanced. Fine. Elegant. Length."

Jacques Dupont (Le Point): 18,5/19
"Resin, cocoa, cherry, the fruitiness of the cabernet franc is dominating, with a middle mouth of great finesse, of great thickness, without rough tannins, very silky, the cabernet sauvignon is not overwhelming the wine with its usual blackcurrant aromas, but by its tannic frame, the blend is harmonious. The top of mind is freshness and marvelous fruit."

Tim Atkin MW: 97
"The high proportion of Cabernet is the key to the success of Figeac in 2009. Unlike some badly over-blown wines in Saint-Emilion, this is poised and beautifully balanced, with the perfume of the cabernet franc complementing the structure of the cabernet sauvignon and the plush fruit of the merlot. The wine has a delightful rigour about it."

Philippe Maurange (Revue du Vin de France): 17,5-18,5
"The wine is direct and fragrant with refined hints of spices together with a floral elegance which offers freshness and delicacy. The cabernets are the key for the breed of this premier cru classé."

Jean-Marc Quarin: 16,75/17

  

Vintage 2009

2009 began with a cold, dry winter. At the end of january, heavy rains topped up the water table in the soil, ensuring essential reserves for the vines.
The monts of February and March were dry and cold. This weather prolonged the vines' dormant period which only ended after April 2nd in our gravelly spots. The cool temperatures (12° on average)made the start of the growing season slow and even for all the grape varieties.
The month of May brought the best possible conditions for the vines. The Figeac vineyard was fortunatly spared the bad hailstorm on May 13th which devasted a part of the vines in Saint-Emilion.
The flowering process enjoyed almost summer-like weather conditions and spread out over a period of 7 days, taking place evenly for each of the varieties.
Grape-colour change began on 20th July for the Merlot and 31st for the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon. The grapes ripened in the hot, dry weather of August and weather, which never caused any significant problems of water deficit stress. The wide swings of temperature between day and night (15°C difference on average) benefited the accumulation of polyphenols in the skins while the sunshine favoured the concentration of sugar in the berries.
Moderate de-leafings protected the grapes from being over-exposed to a bearning sun whilst keeping them in very good health and helping them to develop highquality aromatic characters.
Our Harvest streched out over almost a month. It began with the Merlot from the 22nd to the 28th of september and continued with the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon from the 5th to the 19th October.
The 2009 vintage had an average yield or 40 hectoliter per hectare. the first tastings of the vintage promised a wine with great aromatic complexity and an amazingly fine tannic structure.
The blend is made up of 1/3 Merlot, 1/3 Cabernet Franc, and 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon. These proportions allow Figeac to maintain very good balance as well as a lovely freshness - thanks also to a a natural alcoolic degree that is no more than 13.5.