At the end of November, Maltese wine lovers had an opportunity to meet the owners and taste four vintages of Chateau Figeac.
The event took place at De Piro Palace in Mdina, with excellent food prepared by chef Kevin Bonello and his team at the Xara Palace Hotel.
The origins of Chateau Figeac go back to the huge Gallo-Roman domain belonging to Figeacus, from which it took its name in the second century AD.
The estate was so huge that over the years and passing of generations, a large number of breakaway estates were created. Most famously, these include Chateau Cheval Blanc and all the estates with Figeac appended in their title (e.g. Cros Figeac, Tour du Pin Figeac, Petit Figeac etc.).
The property is quite unique and special for many reasons. Firstly, the 39-hectare property covers nearly half of the gravel area of Saint Emilion.
This is a small area near the border with Pomerol, where the soils have a high content of Gunzian gravel. It is excellently drained and 65 per cent of its vineyard is dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc – very exceptional for a wine from Saint Emilion, where Merlot normally dominates and where Cabernet Sauvignon usually plays a very minor role.
The chateau itself (the building) dates back to the 18th century and is built in a pure classical style. The winemaking facilities and barrel and bottle cellars are attached to the property through an impressive tasting room adorned with a couple of Flemish tapestries. Figeac is one of the most visited wine properties in France, with over 5,000 visitors each year.
The Manoncourt family first set roots in Saint Emilion and at Figeac in 1892, but the turning point for the estate’s wines and reputation came about in 1945 when the family installed Thierry Manoncourt, who started his working career as a geological engineer at the helm of the estate.
After many years of neglect, absentee owners and general dereliction, Thierry put all his energy and enthusiasm as well as his geological expertise into the life and wines of the once-famous property. The estate soon became his lifelong work and passion, and within a few years he managed to put Figeac back in the limelight. Vintages like 1947 and 1949 are now legendary.
By the mid-1950s, Figeac had regained its reputation as one of Bordeaux’s top wines and Thierry became one of the most important people in the region. Being one of the first people to recognise the importance of collectivity and unity, together with a number of Saint Emilionais, he pressed the authorities to establish the classification of Saint Emilion. This was enlisted in 1955, with Figeac being recognised with the distinction of Premier Grand Cru Classe B.
Outstanding wines were grown in the great vintages of 61 and 82, but Figeac is also good in the lesser vintages. Ones that come to mind from tastings this year are 64, 75 and 79, all still alive and wonderful.
There are good wines: these are the wines that taste good. There are great wines: these are the ones that taste good, have a sense of place, are recognisable and with ageing potential
Thierry took a step back in the late 1980s and the running of the estate was given to one of his sons-in-law, Count Eric D’Aramon. Eric left Figeac in somewhat controversial circumstances in 2012, but under his leadership excellent wines were grown, especially in 1990 and more recently in 2010. This latter could eventually turn out to be one of the greatest wines ever offered by the estate.
For classical fine wine lovers, Figeac is like Lourdes to devotees of the Virgin Mary. I remember taking a group of Maltese wine enthusiasts there, and on arrival two members of our group knelt down and kissed the earth. This is the sort of following Figeac carries.
After a couple of rejections in an attempt to join the higher classification of Premier Grand Cru Classe A (primarily because of price), the death of Thierry in 2010 and internal squabbling, the family decided to make some important changes in the running of the estate.
Eric D. Aramon resigned as general manager and was replaced by Frédérique Faye. Mr Faye is no newcomer to Figeac. He has been working there for over 15 years and lives with his family on the estate.
A move that worried a lot of Figeac’s faithful was when Michel Rolland was appointed wine consultant. Rolland is the world’s most famous wine consultant and very often is accused of ‘making’ wines in his style, but this is unlikely to happen. Having tasted his first full vintage of 2013 en primeur, I can confirm that the style remains that of Figeac.
Back to the event in Malta.
I have known the Manoncourts for the past 20 years and it was always Thierry’s wish to visit Malta with his wife Marie France. A visit was planned in 2010 but sadly, he died a few months before. At the funeral, Marie France expressed the wish that the visit should still take place, and in fact it did. Accompanied by one of her four daughters, Blandine, they
spent four days among us at the end of November.
A number of events were organised, with the main one taking place at De Piro Palace. A hundred wine lovers packed the new banqueting hall. The wines served were Petit Figeac. This is the second wine of Figeac which from the vintage of 2012 will replace the label of Grange Neuve de Figeac.
The 2007, served in magnum, is now drinking very well, its soft tannins, cabernet lift and well-balanced acidity providing a very drinkable Figeac at this early stage.
The much bigger, more tannic 2005 is by comparison too young to drink. This is a wine that will be better in five years and will live for many more. To finish off, the 1983 is now fully mature, a treat for old wine lovers.
There are good wines: these are the wines that taste good. There are great wines: these are the ones that taste good, have a sense of place, are recognisable and with ageing potential. Then there are great wines with magic: these are the ones that have all of the foregoing and a little bit more.
In the case of Figeac, that magic comes from its amazing freshness, drinkability, vinosity and a sense of family.
Chateau Figeac is available from most wine merchants.
mike@michaeltabone.com