The savoir-faire exercised in Figeac’s wine-growing has been developed from a mix of tradition and innovation, underpinned by science-based methods. Since the 1950s, Figeac’s wine-growing has been environmentally-friendly and based on careful observation of the vines and on surveys carried out using the latest techniques. These methods are practiced by all of the wine-growing team who, as wine artisans, watch over 240,000 vines with the greatest care to ensure the production of the best possible grapes, which is a prerequisite for the making of a great wine. These wine artisans apply the same care and precision in the cellars to preserve Figeac’s distinctive style. In order to bring out the best in every vintage, an individualized approach is adopted, ensuring that the complexity of the terroir is clearly expressed in the wine. The teams working in the vines and cellars function in perfect synergy, sharing a common passion and one aim: to achieve an outstanding wine in every vintage. Following the terroir analyses carried out using infrared aerial imagery and the geo-resistivity survey, the harvesting of the grapes at Figeac is staggered according to individual, specific intra-plot zones. The vat cellar was adapted to be able to vinify separate batches coming from these intra-plot zones, thanks to small-sized fermentation vats. The oak vat cellar, which was renovated in the 2000s, contains ten open-topped conical oak vats, especially adapted for the gentle extraction of phenolic compounds using the famous “immersed cap” method. The stainless steel vat cellar is made up of 12 vats of 160 to 15-hectolitre capacity. The harvesting of perfectly ripe grapes has enabled the wine of Chateau Figeac to be aged 100% in new oak barrels since the end of the 1960s. These barrels are sourced from 8 different coopers, and are specially designed for Figeac according to a specific brief. They are toasted with a medium char, and are solely made up of French oak. About 100,000 bottles of the Chateau-Figeac Grand Vin are produced annually, along with about 40,000 bottles of the Second Wine “Petit Figeac” (as from the 2012 vintage). The cellarmaster oversees the winemaking process with precision and passion, exercising perfect control over the Figeac style. Together with his team he adopts an individualized approach which takes into account each grape variety and vineyard plot and succeeds in bringing out the complexity of the terroir and the best of each vintage. A consultant œnologist has for many years made a contribution to this quest for excellence. In 2012, the Manoncourt family appointed Michel Rolland. He has added his special expertise in order to bring out even better the qualities of this outstanding and complex terroir. The winemaking process combines traditional methods with the techniques brought by modern equipment, ensuring that the quality of the grapes, the musts, the wines and their traceability are carefully respected.

 

The Figeac name dates back to the second century AD. In the second century AD, a family by the name of Figeacus owned a Gallo-Roman villa on the site of the present château and a large estate, to which they gave their name. According to historians, this is the same family that was at the origin of the town of Figeac in the Lot department of France. The vestiges of an ancient pigeon loft remind us that in the Middle Ages, this large farming estate was a noble house. The château has conserved a number of doors and low, narrow windows which can be dated to around the year 1000. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth century  - a remarkable continuity The viticultural development of Figeac. In the fifteenth century, Figeac was one of five noble houses in Saint-Emilion and passed from the Lescours family, who at that time also owned Ausone, into the hands of the Cazes (or Decazes) family, who transmitted it through marriage to the Carles in the seventeenth century. Several characters in this long line left their mark on the history of Figeac as well as that of the region. Raymond de Cazes, a lord of Figeac, a Jurat of Libourne, and an influential character, rebuilt the château in 1586 in a classical Renaissance architectural style, after it had been burnt down during the Wars of Religion. The second year ageing cellar dates from that time, as do a number of visible architectural features, such as the pillars of the great courtyard, the tower of the château’s left wing and elements on window mullions. Through the marriage of Marie de Cazes in 1654, the noble land of Figeac passed into the hands of the Carles. The Carles were very influential and dynamic in the region and owned numerous properties. They took an active part in the beginnings of a modern type of viticulture in the Libourne area. Their keen commercial sense enabled them to develop a clientele in Paris and in the north of Europe. The improvements effected by this brilliant family are what today’s visitors admire most: the elegant eighteenth century façade; the pillars of the Court of Honour linked by a wooden grille and surmounted by a flame; and a pediment whose sail billows evoke the shipment of Figeac’s wines overseas. When an economic crisis struck as a result of the Continental Blockade, the Countess de Carles-Trajet sold some of Figeac’s land. Parts of this land included Cheval Blanc, which was ceded in 1832. Figeac and its 130 hectares (321 acres) were then sold in 1838. Figeac went through a period of 50 years having 7 different owners.

 

It was in 1892 that the Manoncourt family’s ancestors acquired the core of the property (the three famous gravel mounds which make up its outstanding terroir), and established definitively Figeac’s vocation as a wine estate. Henri de Chèvremont, Thierry Manoncourt’s great grandfather, acquired Figeac and entrusted the management of the estate to the eminent agricultural engineer Albert Macquin, who structured the vineyard, equipped the cellars with oak vats (sourced from the estate’s woods), and experimented with plantations of new species of vegetation around the château. It was he who brought a scientific approach to the vineyard and winemaking and a new, unique aspect to Figeac’s landscape. In 1907, the famous Chateau-Figeac label was created, carrying the coat of arms of Henri de Chèvremont. It evolved thereafter but kept its unique, easy to recognize design. The twentieth century and Figeac’s resurgence. After the Manoncourt family acquired the property in 1892, Figeac was mainly managed by agricultural engineers. However, in 1943, the year in which Thierry Manoncourt made his first vintage, a period of resurgence began for Figeac. Thierry Manoncourt realised in that year the huge potential of Figeac’s terroir and urged his mother, a Parisian, to hold on to the estate. Then, in 1947, once he had graduated as an agricultural engineer, he came and settled at Figeac. He continually wandered through the vines seeking to understand every detail of Figeac’s unique terroir. Keeping only those traditions he considered good ones, he improved wine-growing techniques. His scientific approach won him the reputation of a respected innovator. In 1955 Chateau-Figeac became a First Great Classified Growth. Thierry Manoncourt made a number of decisive choices. It was thanks to him that Figeac gained its unique grape composition of 30% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The “Figeac style” was born from his determination. Working alongside him, his wife, Marie-France Manoncourt, joined the Figeac cause. Together they developed and improved the property, while carefully preserving the land’s biodiversity. The Figeac we know today was shaped by their vision. They warmly welcomed visitors from every corner of the world and traveled widely. By the 1960s, Figeac was already known in the USA; and by the 1970s it had gained renown in Asia (Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore). In 1971, after building a new vat room and barrel cellar, Thierry Manoncourt was dubbed by the press the “Pharaoh of Saint-Emilion”. He was the First Jurat of Saint-Emilion in the years from 1964 to 1988. He also devoted time and energy to promoting Bordeaux wines in general around the world. Figeac had now become one of Bordeaux’s leading properties. By the 1980s, the wines of Chateau-Figeac were recognized around the world. Laure and Eric d’Aramon (Thierry and Marie-France Manoncourt’s daughter and son-in-law) settled at Figeac to lend their support. Gradually, Count Eric d’Aramon took over the operational management of the estate. Part of his mission was to introduce a more modern and more structured type of management whilst ensuring the long-term continuity of the business. He was General Manager until 2012. This was the period of long promotional trips (as member of the Union des Grands Crus) and the opening up of new markets. It was also during this period, in 2002, that Frédéric Faye arrived at Figeac. His recruitment illustrated the family’s determination to continue and develop the scientific, qualitative approach to wine growing that had first driven Figeac’s success. A graduate in agricultural engineering, Frédéric Faye, alongside Thierry Manoncourt, got to know every nook and cranny of the vineyard and immediately entered into the spirit of the Figeac cause. He was soon at the head of a highly motivated crew, bringing fresh energy and introducing new skills, while launching wide-ranging projects. Well before passing away in August 2010, Thierry Manoncourt had been careful to transmit the skills and values he had introduced and developed at the property. Today, Madame Manoncourt and her daughters are ably supported by highly skilled wine-growing teams and are as eager as ever to guarantee the long-term continuity of Figeac. They are careful to preserve its spirit and the values of knowledge-sharing, innovation, excellence and a warmth of welcome that have always been central to the way in which this unique property has been run every day.

 

With its pedigree style, Chateau-Figeac epitomizes the elegance of the great wines of Bordeaux. The wine’s individual character is drawn from an outstanding, complex terroir, characterized by three Gunzian gravel outcrops. Made from a grape composition of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot, its Cabernet majority is one of its features. Its unique style gradually shows through and develops over time. Some vintages, such as the 2001 can be enjoyed in the first years; however, Chateau-Figeac is recognized for its ability to age for many years. Numerous legendary vintages, such as 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 2005, 2009 and 2010 testify to this. This great wine displays a distinctive rich nose that has wonderful aromatic complexity. On the palate, the Cabernet Sauvignon reveals lovely floral aromas in the first year then, as the wine ages, great structure on the palate. The Cabernet Franc brings lots of freshness in the tannins, and the Merlot contributes roundness and flesh. The attack on the palate is clean, the texture is silky, and the complexity elegant. The characteristic freshness of Figeac is underpinned by great length of flavour. With its long ageing potential, the wine goes on in time to reveal hints of forest floor, leather, cigar-box and liquorice - always with its hallmark elegance.