Chateau Figeac (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2017

Professional Ratings

• 96 Wine Spectator

  This starts slowly, with black tea and sunbaked loam aromas leading off, followed by a deep well of black currant, fig and blackberry preserve flavors that form the core. From there, iron and espresso cream threads line the finish, where the fruit drips slowly and the aromas linger seductively. This will be a slow burn. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2042.

• 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2017 Figeac is composed of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Very deep garnet-purple in color, the nose sings of Cabernet Sauvignon—bright crushed black currants, blackberries and wild blueberries with wafts of lilacs, pencil shavings, tobacco, tilled earth plus a hint of bay leaves. The medium-bodied mouth is fine, elegant, minerally and incredibly vivacious with tons of energy. Bright and refreshing with firm, grainy tannins and a provocative hint of chew, it finishes with great length. This should age wonderfully. 100% new oak was used for this sample and it is very well-integrated.
  Barrel Sample: 94-96
• 95 James Suckling

  Blackberries and violets with lots of perfume. Some roses, too. Full body. Very structured for this vintage with tight, lightly chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Creamy texture. Excellent density in the center palate. Try after 2023.

• 95 Wine Enthusiast

  The Cabernets, both Sauvignon and Franc, have produced a wine that is structured and firm, with plenty of backbone as well as fruit and acidity. It will be a juicy, rich wine that is sure to age well. The aftertaste is ripe and fruity. Drink from 2024.

• 95 Jeb Dunnuck

  The grand vin is the 2017 Chateau Figeac, which was made only from first-generation grapes and is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and only 10% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in new French oak. It offers a beautiful bouquet of creme de cassis, tobacco, violets, and tobacco, with a touch of forest floor and earth. Made in a pure, elegant, medium-bodied style, it's beautifully textured, seamless and elegant, with silky tannins and a solid spine of acidity. It's going to be drinkable in 4-5 years and cruise for 15-20 years.

• 93 Decanter

  An estate that saw a heavy frost, losing 55% of the crop and achieving yields of 22hl/ha, but has managed to deliver a lovely wine that majors on elegance, and that emphasises the Cabernet over Merlot character to good effect. Not the intensity of 2015, 2016, 2018, but hard to disagree with the pleasure, the confidence and poise of the wine. Firm tannins also, and the most gorgeous hint of cold ash and woodsmoke curling out of the glass, this will continue to develop and deepen over next decade and beyond. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040