Discovering Château-Figeac
What makes a great wine? Its history? The excellence of its terroir, the exacting standards of those who craft it? Its elegance, always combined with a touch of whimsy? Undoubtedly all of this plays a part. Vintage went to visit Château-Figeac, a Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" and a legendary Estate, which is preparing to host the 2024 "En Primeur" welcome evening.
“They come from the north to spend the winter here. Sometimes we hear them through the fireplace at night.” Standing at the entrance of the family Estate, Blandine de Brier Manoncourt gazes in wonder as a flock of common cranes fly overhead. The Estate co-owner is well aware that the same scene plays out every winter. It is nevertheless just as magical each time. Here, people come and go, but some things never change. The place’s name has remained the same since the 2nd century. Protected by a row of hundred-year-old small oak trees and hawthorns spanning three kilometres, the Château-Figeac vineyards have stood the test of time. It is a special place. By treading the uneven soil of the rise on which the Château is built, we can feel the raw power and strength of the earth and the terroir: “These irregular gravelly soils are characteristic of the estate. Without these stones, Château-Figeac would not be here today. They carry the spirit of this ancient place.” The family of Blandine de Brier Manoncourt has been working to reproduce this strong identity in its wines for the past 133 years. However, such longevity does not preclude a pioneering spirit: “The Château has a very long history, yet it has always been shaped by people with an innovative research-led approach. The estate has often been managed by agricultural engineers.” Innovating is in their DNA.
As is the choice to adopt a certain originality. You just have to look at the label to believe it. Where the majority of Grands Crus promote their Châteaux, Château-Figeac simply put its name, handwritten by Robert Villepigue for the 1906 vintage: “This iconic label is of unrivalled modernity. It has an art déco aspect which makes us instantly identifiable and our enthusiasts love it”, Blandine de Brier Manoncourt praises. The other symbol of their uniqueness is their blend of three grape varieties (around 30% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon), which is almost unheard of in Saint-Emilion: “Château-Figeac as we know it today was created by Thierry Manoncourt. He was the estate owner but he was above all an engineer and a scientist. He asked himself a multitude of questions, and he was the one who made it unique through these three grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon adds finesse to our highly ethereal wines”, Frédéric Faye, the estate’s Managing Director explains. To perpetuate Thierry Manoncourt’s vision and craft wines of increasingly higher quality each year, a new cellar was recently installed. The aim is to reach an unprecedented level of precision and go one step further in terms of research and experimentation.
The impact of this new facility, which has been operational since 2021, soon became clear: “A small plot which had never been used to make the first wine was selected for the 2022 vintage, which is probably the greatest ever produced” Madame de Brier Manoncourt enthuses.
Château-Figeac cultivates the art of discrepancy, but also knows how to play a collective role. It has done so for a very long time. Thierry Manoncourt was the first jurat of the jurade of Saint-Emilion for 23 years. He was also one of the pioneers in the creation of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux: “He was convinced that we had something to share with the Japanese, whose consumption of saké resembled our wine culture”, Frédéric Faye explains. In 1973, a small group of estate owners travelled to Japan to promote fine Bordeaux wines. The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux was thus founded. This year, in a bid to perpetuate this spirit, the Château will host the “En Primeur” welcome evening for the first time in decades. This is a tremendous honour for the Managing Director: “We are delighted to organise such a special event. En Primeur week plays a major role in the life of a Bordeaux estate. We can’t wait to stand alongside our fellow winegrowers to present a 2024 vintage which, despite challenging weather conditions, boasts surprising quality”.
