Wine Advisor
Figeac 1990
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The exceptional 1990 is the first authoritative Figeac since their splendid 1982. The huge nose of new saddle leather, herbs, black fruits, and smoke is followed by a wine with exceptional concentration, excellent balance and depth, and a smooth-as-silk finish. Ripe tannins and sweet fruit combine to produce a splendidly opulent, rich Figeac that should drink well for two decades. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive notes I have ever given an infant vintage of Figeac. I should also point out that the 1990 Figeac bears more than a casual resemblance to its renowned neighbor, Cheval Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010. A fabulous wine! Last tasted, 5/93.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A very fine Figeac, one that improves in the glass but it seems to have waned since its peak several years ago. The nose is just a tad diffuse at first, quite warm with a touch of volatility, leather and roasted meats. There is a softness to this ‘90, which blurs the definition. The palate is full-bodied, sinewy and very harmonious with a soft middle and then some grainy tannin towards the finish. Not a bad wine but I think other bottles might be better. Tasted December 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is a strong effort for Figeac, but the wine is fully mature and is beginning to fade slightly. It offers a terrific bouquet of roasted herbs, cedarwood, licorice, sweet cherries, and background foresty/underbrush notes, a fleshy attack, medium body, sweet fruit, and plenty of glycerin, but the tannins provide a pinched finish that evaporates quickly leaving only astringency. This wine tires within 45 minutes of opening, so it needs to be drunk over the next 4-5 years, if not sooner. And, do not over-aerate! Release price: ($500.00/case)
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The exceptional 1990 is the first great Figeac since their splendid 1982. When Figeac gets everything right, as it did in 1990, the result is one of the most compelling wines in Bordeaux. The huge nose of new saddle leather, herbs, black fruits, and smoke is followed by a wine with exceptional concentration, excellent balance and depth, and a smooth-as-silk finish. Ripe tannins and sweet fruit combine to produce a splendidly opulent, rich Figeac that should drink well for two decades. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive notes I have ever given an infant vintage of Figeac. I should also note that the 1990 Figeac bears more than a casual resemblance to its renowned neighbor, Cheval Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010. A fabulous wine!
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
First tasted in November 1999: a fantastic rich complex nose of fruitcake and black fruits. Intense concentrated palate - fleshy blackcurrant and juniper berries. Classy and riWonderful. Then at La Vigeronne in April 2003: Deep, almost opaque core with brick rim. The nose is very compact and not as voluptuous as before (I thought there was some corkiness although the others disagreed with me.) A stern, tannic palate, quite animal and meaty. Doesn't really shine like before - I think this is subdued through some TCA. Tasted November 1999.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of Bordeaux's most schizophrenic properties, as disappointing as Figeac's 1989 has turned out, the 1990 is fabulous. This property has not made a wine as rich as the 1990 since 1982. In contrast to the 1989, the 1990 is a great Figeac, potentially a richer, more complete and complex wine than the 1982. The 1990 exhibits a saturated dark purple color (somewhat atypical for Figeac), and a gorgeous nose of olives, fruitcake, jammy black fruits, minerals, and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, with gobs of glycerin-imbued, sweet, jammy fruit, this wine is nicely buttressed by moderate tannin and adequate acidity. Fleshy and rich, as well as elegant and complex, it is approachable because of the wine's sweet fruit, but it promises even more pleasure with 2-4 more years of bottle age; it will last for 20 years. I predict the 1990 Figeac will have one of the most exotic and compelling aromatic profiles of the 1990s. It is a terrific wine!
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Tasted 6 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes The exceptional 1990 is the first authoritative Figeac since their splendid 1982. The huge nose of new saddle leather, herbs, black fruits, and smoke is followed by a wine with exceptional concentration, excellent balance and depth, and a smooth-as-silk finish. Ripe tannin and sweet fruit combine to produce a splendidly opulent, rich Figeac that should drink well for two decades. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive notes I have ever given an infant vintage of Figeac. The wine bears more than a casual resemblance to its renowned neighbor, Cheval Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property. The 1990 Figeac was drinking gloriously and this is perhaps the best bottle that I have tasted. It is noticeably deep in color, in fact, deeper and more lucid than many vintages from the 1980s. It reminds me of the Lafleur 1990 in some ways, with its very expressive Cabernet Franc that manifests black truffle and cigar ash scents. There is such clarity here. The palate is medium-bodied and full of degraded black, earthy fruit. There is weight and presence here, gently gripping the mouth with a long tobacco-tinged finish that is still very satisfying. There is something still "old school" about this Figeac, but it certainly would be my pick from this era. Tasted June 2015.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is a fabulous Figeac with a deep ruby/garnet color and some lightening at the edge. A sweet nose of licorice, cedar, black currants, cherries, and minerals is followed by a relatively fleshy Figeac with medium body and wonderful sweetness, in a very expansive, elegant style, with nothing out of place. The wine is fully mature and capable of lasting for at least another 10-15 years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2016. Last tasted, 12/02.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1990 is the first great Figeac since their splendid 1982. When Figeac gets everything right, as it did in 1990, the result is one of the most compelling wines in Bordeaux. The huge nose of new saddle leather, herbs, black fruits, and smoke is followed by a wine with exceptional concentration, excellent balance and depth, and a smooth-as-silk finish. Ripe tannins and sweet fruit combine to produce a splendidly opulent, rich Figeac that should drink well for two decades. Figeac often behaves like Cheval Blanc. Therefore, it can be notoriously light when tasted young, often putting on considerable weight during the first 2-5 years after bottling. With that caveat in mind, this is undoubtedly one of the most impressive notes I have ever given an infant vintage of Figeac. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010.
About the Producer
During the ten years from 2010 to 2020, the team at Château-Figeac stepped up their efforts to craft consistently precise wines whose purity reflects the distinctive character of the terroir. Each plot and each grape variety, once fully expressed, brings a new element to the rich canvas created every year at blending, giving birth to a remarkable succession of great wines. Freshness is a hallmark of our 2015, 2018 and 2020 vintages, despite very hot and sunny weather. So-called classic vintages are reinterpreted with great subtlety and a mineral cast in the 2010, 2016 and 2019 wines. The singular gift of the Château-Figeac terroir comes to the fore in the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017 vintages, when the weather was less auspicious. They produced highly successful wines greatly appreciated by faithful connoisseurs. In 2021, Château-Figeac inaugurated a new 5,000 m² semi underground winery equipped with custom made stainless steel and wooden vats. The summit of elegance, a jewel of innovation and precision designed to meet High Environmental Quality standards, it also offers visitors two light and airy tasting rooms.
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