Chateau Figeac Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2011 750ml

The pronounced notes of truffles, graphite and spices suggest a wine that has attained its apogee. After aeration, black fruit including ripe plum comes to the fore along with spices as well as a touch of tobacco and meat. The palate is at first surprisingly creamy in the context of the 2011 vintage, but the powerfully tannic framework asserts itself on the long finish. Although very expressive of its terroir, this is such a singularly styled Figeac that it might be a challenge to identify it as such in a blind tasting. Drinking Window 2022 – 2035.

• Country: France
• Region: Bordeaux
• Appellation: Saint Emilion
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Red Bordeaux

There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world’s finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six ‘official’ Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act ”“ the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.