Château Figeac

Italy is not only one of the oldest wine countries in the world, but also one of the most diverse. From the Alpine north to the warm south, from the Mediterranean coasts to the higher elevations of the Apennines, hardly any other country offers such a broad range of grape varieties, climates, and wine styles. With more than 20 wine regions, over 400 indigenous grape varieties, and a deeply rooted culture of enjoyment, Italy is among the world’s most important wine producers.

Italy is not only one of the oldest wine countries in the world, but also one of the most diverse. From the Alpine north to the warm south, from the Mediterranean coasts to the higher elevations of the Apennines, hardly any other country offers such a broad range of grape varieties, climates, and wine styles. With more than 20 wine regions, over 400 indigenous grape varieties, and a deeply rooted culture of enjoyment, Italy is among the world’s most important wine producers.

Italy is not only one of the oldest wine countries in the world, but also one of the most diverse. From the Alpine north to the warm south, from the Mediterranean coasts to the higher elevations of the Apennines, hardly any other country offers such a broad range of grape varieties, climates, and wine styles. With more than 20 wine regions, over 400 indigenous grape varieties, and a deeply rooted culture of enjoyment, Italy is among the world’s most important wine producers.

The history of Figeac reaches back to Gallo-Roman times. The name refers to the Figeacus family, whose estate was already mentioned in the second century. Roman remains can still be found on the property today, alongside relics from the Middle Ages. For centuries, Figeac remained an important estate but was divided several times – one of these divisions ultimately gave rise to Château Cheval Blanc.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the estate was shaped above all by the Manoncourt family. Under Thierry Manoncourt and his family, Figeac developed with great consistency, with a clear focus on quality, precision and expression of terroir. Continuity remains central: director Frédéric Faye has been in his role since 2002.

A milestone was the comprehensive modernisation of the winery and vineyards, completed in 2020. It now allows even more precise and selective work without changing the classic style.

Today Château Figeac combines traditional values with modern oenology at the highest level. Harvesting is selective and carried out in several passes. Across the roughly 40-hectare estate, vinification is conducted parcel by parcel to express the differences between the individual gravel rises with precision.

Fermentation is temperature-controlled and the wines are aged in French barriques, with the proportion of new oak always chosen for balance and integration. The goal is not a loud, extract-heavy style, but a wine of structure, depth and elegance.

Recent vintages in particular show how this approach has sharpened precision: clearer, more defined and at the same time more accessible, while offering greater power and tannic structure. Figeac remains a wine for patient drinkers, but rewards them with exceptional depth and longevity. In great years it ranks among the longest-lived and most complex wines of the Right Bank.