Figgins Estate Red Wine 2017
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James
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Jeb
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Robert
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Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dark to the rim, with signature aromatic notes of ripe red and blue fruits, tanned leather, black olive, and lilac. The nose simply brings a smile. On the palate, if I had to describe the wine in one word it would be precision. The way the sweet fruit and dramatic length are braced by lively acidity and tannins aligns so perfectly that the wine is, quite simply, delicious.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a plush, pretty red with plum, chocolate and cedar character. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and balanced. Highly strung and nervous, yet reserved. Give this time. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and merlot.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Estate Red Wine is more Cabernet Sauvignon dominated and spent 23 months in a mix of new and neutral French oak. It's a stunning effort that has classy cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as notes of cedar pencil, dried flowers, graphite, and dried earth. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant on the palate, it's not a massive wine yet has terrific concentration, beautifully balanced tannins, and acidity, and a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Estate Red Wine has a robust nose with juicy aromas and complex layers of red and black fruits that are dense and expressive with resinous purple flowers and integrated oak tones. Full-bodied, the wine initially has a firm tannic grip on the palate, leading to flavors of dark plum skin, dark dusty cherry and blackberry essence with a mineral tension and subtle flavors of bitter dark chocolate and walnuts. The finish is long and textured, guided by a tannic edge. This is delicious but will need two to three years in the cellar before enjoying. Your patience will be rewarded. The wine rested in French oak barrels for 23 months.
Rating: 94+
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is a blend of Petit Verdot and Merlot. Fruit-forward brooding aromas of dark cherry, flower, earth, herb and spice are followed by layered textured dark-fruit flavors that sail on the finish. It brings a sense of seriousness and gravitas but without any shortage of unabashed, outright deliciousness. Bright acidity accents it and firm tannins stand it up. The structure and balance are impressive.
Cellar Selection
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Wine Spectator
Built for the cellar, this red is tightly wound right now but the promise is there, with deeply structured blackberry, cedar and dusky spice flavors that build tension toward firm tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2030.
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Wine &
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One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.