Wine Advisor
Figeac 2003
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Performing much better than I expected, the still fresh 2003 Figeac is not the biggest or richest wine of the vintage, but it is a vibrant St.-Emilion exhibiting a dark ruby/plum color along with a note of cedarwood and the strong Cabernet character that permeates this vineyard. Close to full maturity, this medium-bodied 2003 should drink well for another 5-7 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A rather funky, truffle scented nose with a sweaty element becoming more pronounced with aeration. A simple sweet palate, a little disjointed and lacking delineation with a touch of burnt toast on the finish. Outclassed by others in this flight of Saint Emilion 2003’s. Drinking 2009-2012. Tasted January 2007.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted after bottling at the UGC in October 2005. The nose has improved, dense black fruits with a meaty, slightly sweaty aroma. The palate is quite tannic, a little coarse with a very linear mid-palate. Notes of cherry and strawberry. A little aggressive with a touch of burnt toast lingering on the finish. Certainly an improvement from en primeur yet it still needs more harmony, focus and vigor. Tasted October 2005.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Figeac’s gravel/sand terroir was at odds with the weather conditions imposed on Bordeaux vineyards in 2003. After a succession of brilliant achievements over recent vintages, the 2003 is a lighter-styled offering displaying soft, herb-tinged cherry and currant fruit, intermixed with hints of incense and licorice. Medium-bodied, easy-going, but lacking concentration as well as depth, it should be consumed over the next decade.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property from magnum, the 2003 Figeac is a commendable Right Bank for the vintage, but in the company of other vintages, its shortcomings are all too obvious. Firstly, it looks more mature than vintages from the 1990s. Then the nose is mulchy, fungal and fully mature with a nagging vegetal note. The palate has a "gritty" entry, the acidity nicely realized, though there is some dryness on the finish that is jarring and leaves you feeling unfulfilled. I've tasted far worse Saint Emilion 2003s, but I would be inclined to drink this sooner rather than later. Tasted June 2015.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A luscious, sensual effort, the dark plum-colored 2003 exhibits a big, rich nose of dried herbs, high quality cigar tobacco, fruit cake, red currants, and sweet licorice. It is medium-bodied, soft, round, and seductive, lacking only depth and persistence. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
While revealing more character than it did last year, this remains a medium-weight, elegant, sensual, fragrant, surprisingly evolved St.-Emilion. It offers a dark plum/garnet color along with a bouquet of fruitcake, currants, licorice, dried herbs, and tobacco smoke. Sweet, round, and medium-bodied, it is a charming, well-balanced red to enjoy over the next 12-14 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s “10-Year On” tasting in London. This is a better bottle of Figeac than I have encountered in previous years. The Figeac 2003 is the first Saint Emilion in this flight to show vigour and energy – no doubt the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon components coming to the rescue. They lend the nose a Left Bank persona – touches of cedar and cigar box infused the dark red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with clean fresh boysenberry and cranberry fruit interlaced by quite assertive tannins that continue the Left Bank theme. It is nicely composed if not complex on the finish. I would be happy to have this in my cellar although it is not a long-term proposition. Tasted March 2013.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good medium red. Aromas of redcurrant, leather, tobacco and meat. Juicy and tight on entry, with ripe acids keeping the flavors of plum, redcurrant and cedar under wraps. There are some rather firm-edged tannins here, but also good finishing breadth of flavor, with some emerging leather and animal nuances.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Red-ruby. Wild, superripe aromas of plum, leather, meat and gravel; almost Graves-like. Then less rustic in the mouth, with deep flavors of currant, black plum, minerals and smoke. In a rather subdued phase, but not at all flat. Finishes with broad, dusty tannins that reach the front teeth.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright red-ruby. Redcurrant, leather and chocolate on the nose. Moderately dense but juicy and lively, with the wine's cabernet component giving it surprising lift. A flavor of raspberry liqueur is lifted by a floral element. Finishes with dusty, slightly dry, but rather fine-grained tannins and good length.
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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Package Size
12 x 75cl
