2020 Figeac

Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Sweetly seductive dark-red fruit but with a light stony/mineral side to it. So fragrant. Sweetly seductive and refined on the palate, too. Very fine layered tannins, relatively light-bodied but great length. (JH)

The 2020 Figeac has a very refined nose with a sense of control and brooding intensity as the black and red fruit gradually unfurl. The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entry, wonderful mineralité and firm grip—a more structured Right Bank. The finish is quite compelling, but this clearly needs time. Closing with enormous length, this is a serious 2020 for the most patient. A stunning Figeac from tip to toe. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

The 2020 Figeac is the finest wine that has been bottled to date at this estate since its renaissance began a decade ago. Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, licorice and black truffles, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a suave, harmonious profile, vibrant acids, and beautifully refined structuring tannins. This sapid, complex wine represents the essence of this great terroir. Two years after extensive soil studies of the estate were carried out, and the first growing season to see cover crops used in the vineyards year-round, the 2020 benefited from more coherently demarcated parcels and more precise élevage, which taken together help to account for its edge over the excellent 2019.