Figeac is the odd one out on the Right Bank. Where its neighbours plant Merlot on clay, Figeac sits on three mounds of gravel — the same ice-age stone you find in the Médoc, most unusual this far east — and Thierry Manoncourt, who took charge in 1947 and was still running the estate in 1973, planted them accordingly: roughly a third Cabernet Sauvignon, a third Cabernet Franc, a third Merlot.
The result is a Saint-Émilion with the perfume and structure of a Médoc, which for decades made it the connoisseur's choice among the Premiers Grands Crus Classés. The property is also, historically, the parent estate out of which Cheval Blanc was carved in the nineteenth century.
1973 was a diluted vintage and this will be a light, delicate, fully evolved wine. Its interest lies in the estate and the date rather than in the glass, and Figeac is a far more interesting name to put in front of someone than most bottles carrying that year.
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Producer: Château Figeac
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Vintage: 1973
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Appellation: Saint-Émilion AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Bordeaux, France
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Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. This will be light and evolved rather than vigorous; the slightly damaged label is cosmetic, but a 1973 Right Bank wine at fifty-three years is fragile by definition.
Who it suits. Suits a fifty-third birthday for a recipient who reads about wine, since Figeac is the name that separates the genuinely interested from the merely impressed.
Condition. The label is slightly damaged — scuffing or a small tear — which affects the appearance of the bottle only and not the wine inside it.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
