Château Figeac

Château Figeac is located in the Saint-Émilion region of Bordeaux in France. The estate comprises 54 hectares in a single contiguous holding; just under a quarter of this consists of natural areas. The vineyards are spread across three gravelly knolls with Günz gravel soils several metres deep, containing quartz and flint, and lying on blue clay. Several microclimates shape the terroir, including a particularly warm microclimate in one plot.

The area under vine covers just under 41 hectares. The vines are on average 35 years old; the oldest date back to 1921. Around 35 per cent of the vineyards have been replanted more recently on the basis of studies into soil, climate and vegetation. In order to preserve its genetic heritage, the estate relies on mass selection and maintains a 0.65-hectare plot with selected material from all three grape varieties. Documented work includes ploughing with horses and tying up the shoots using natural strips of sward.

The vineyards are planted with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The Cabernet varieties together make up around two thirds of the cuvée described by the estate. Château-Figeac is described as a cabernet-driven Saint-Émilion wine with structure, freshness, a mineral character and considerable ageing potential. In 2021, a new winery began operating, with vinification and ageing supported by gravity. It has custom-made French oak vats as well as stainless-steel tanks for the vinification of individual plots and sub-plots; the wines age in underground barrel cellars. The estate’s second wine is called Petit-Figeac.

Château-Figeac has been in the possession of the same family since 1892. Thierry Manoncourt took over the estate in 1947 and shaped its vineyard and cellar work for more than six decades. In the 1955 classification, Château-Figeac was listed as a Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru. In the 2022 approved classification of the Saint-Émilion Grands Crus, it received the distinction Premier Grand Cru Classé A.