Tag: Wine Tasting Notes

Château Figeac Overview

Petit-Figeac is from the Saint-Emilion appellation of the Bordeaux wine region. It is the second wine of Château Figeac.

Château Figeac is situated to the west of Saint-Émilion, bordering Pomerol, and encompasses 41 hectares of vineyards, all classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé “A.” The vineyards rest upon three gravelly hillocks composed of quartz and blue clay in the subsoil. The climate is wet and maritime. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

It is a historic Bordeaux vineyard with roots tracing back to the second century during the Gallo-Roman period. The property’s owner at that time, Figeacus, named the villa he built in that location after himself. Figeac is one of the few vineyards in Saint-Émilion that has been continuously inhabited for the past 2,000 years.

Tasting Notes: Petit-Figeac, 2019

Tasted in non-blind conditions in our Airbnb in Bordeaux, France.

Appearance: Red wine with a medium ruby appearance, a light garnet rim, and a deep purple hue, with medium viscosity.

Nose: The nose is of medium intensity with primary aromas of dark fruit, such as plum and peonies, and secondary and tertiary aromas of baking spice.

Palate: The wine is dry, with low acidity, smooth tannins, and a medium alcohol content. It is medium-bodied with a moderate flavor intensity, featuring ripe fruit notes such as plum. Its finish is medium in length. The wine is well-balanced.

Conclusion: The wine is of good quality, suitable for bottle ageing for up to 10 years.

Food pairing: Boeuf de Bresse grilled or roasted with French fries or in a stew or casserole.

Grape variety: 58% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc

Temperature: Serve between 16 and 18°C

Rewards: The estate received four stars in the 2023 Guide to the Best Wines of France (RVF) and five stars in the 2023 Bettane & Desseauve Guide.

My wife and I are in Bordeaux for five months to attend the CAFA Wine School (see my post, “Wine School in Bordeaux: Firsthand Advice”). At school, we sample a lot of wines. Sometimes upwards of 16 classes a day. For comparative tastings or judging, the “SPIEGELAU Special Glasses Expert Tasting” is a workhorse. These machine-made crystalline glasses are perfect for tasting and evaluating wines. They are also easy to clean and durable, so I don’t worry about breaking them.

Additionally, they are suitable for enjoying everyday wines at home. However, for that special bottle of wine, particularly Bordeaux wines, since we are currently in Bordeaux, we prefer to use the Zalto glasses.

According to its website, the Zalto DENK’ART series glasses are handcrafted. It takes eight people to make one glass. The glasses are created freehand, except for the bowl, which is blown into a mold. Zalto glasses are elegant works of art. They are a pleasure to hold and feature a rim that feels almost invisible to the lips, enhancing the overall wine-drinking experience. Zalto offers a glass for major wines and the “UNIVERSAL,” a catch-all that works well across all wines. For Bordeaux wines, we use the Zalto “BORDEAUX” glass pictured above.