Château-Figeac Petit Figeac Saint-Émilion Red 2020

Located in the heart of the Saint-Émilion area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Château-Figeac is the flagship estate of a family that has always been committed to promoting and advancing the region’s prestige and reputation. Spanning 54 hectares (133 acres) in a single sweep, the entire estate has ‘’Premier Grand Cru Classé’’ status, though nearly a quarter is left unplanted with vines in order to preserve a high-quality living environment and an overall natural balance. Here, biodiversity is both self-evident and a long-standing commitment. With its château, its exceptional vinegrowing terroir and its remarkable natural areas, the estate is regarded as the green oasis of Saint-Émilion. Château-Figeac’s vinegrowing terroir is a geological exception for its appellation, with three quartz and flint gravel outcrops, several metres deep, and blue clay subsoil, forming an infinite patchwork of plots planted with the three grape varieties which give the wine its core identity.

A historic Saint-Émilion estate, Château-Figeac has been in the same family for nearly 130 years, since 1892. Between 1947 and 2010, Thierry Manoncourt created the “Figeac style”, with an instinct for innovation and a respect for nature that were well ahead of their time. Responsible for instilling close attention to the environment and biodiversity, he rooted Château-Figeac in modernity and laid the foundations for what it has since become, establishing lasting lines of force.

Straddling the past and the future, Thierry Manoncourt, an agricultural engineer by training, made his mark on Château-Figeac as soon as he took over in 1947. With his high forehead and cheerfully furrowed eyes, for more than 60 vintages the man nicknamed the “Pharaoh of Saint-Émilion” imposed both a style and his vision of what a great wine should be. His wife joined the campaign at his side in 1956. His great loves were his family and Château-Figeac, which he brought into the select circle of the finest Bordeaux wines. He scrupulously laid the foundations for future generations, making progress as one vintage followed another, always willing to call into question and reappraise. An innovator in vinegrowing and winemaking, respected by his peers, it was he who brought a fresh eye to Figeac’s very distinctive terroir and established the subtle balance of one-third each of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

President of the Jurade de Saint-Émilion for 23 years and an Officer of the Legion of Honour, always ready to help others, he was one of the creators of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux and did much to promote the reputation of Bordeaux wines all over the world. Like his wines, this true gentleman embodied an ideal of generosity and refinement, now perpetuated by his wife and children.

Source: Château Figeac website