FIGEAC 2023

The 2023 Château Figeac is Merlot-dominated but includes 32% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the élevage all in new French oak. Classic Figeac purple fruits, tobacco, leafy herbs, violets, and graphite all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full body, a remarkable sense of purity and precision, fine-grained tannins, and a gorgeous finish. Hitting 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.68, it's a beautiful wine in the vintage that shows the absolute class of this château today.

The 2023 Figeac is gorgeous. Seamless and vibrant, with captivating elegance, this is an absolute beauty. What I admire most is its exceptional balance. Everything is in the right place. Time in the glass brings out hints of gravel, dried herbs, licorice, tobacco and cedar that add dimension. Although it is early, Figeac is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Drink 2033-2073.

The density and finesse to this is terrific, offering blackberry, dark chocolate, walnut and hazelnut, as well as currant and sandalwood. Orange peel, too. Full-bodied and compact with a superb core of thick, velvet-textured tannins and a juicy finish. Extremely long. 41% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 27% cabernet sauvignon.

A brilliant classic in the making, the 2023 Figeac unwinds in the glass with aromas of cassis and mulberry mingled with notions of iris, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, burning embers and spices. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, it's deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of fruit that's framed by powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a broad, atypically mineral finish. It's a blend of 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon that attained 13.5% alcohol.