Château La Tour Figeac 2020

Château La Tour Figeac is a property that has some truly exceptional terroir. The terroir of this Grand Crus Classés producer is so outstanding, that it was once a part of the second-to-none Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classés B property, Château Figeac.  Situated in the graves portion of this Right Bank appellation with some top-notch neighbors like Château Cheval Blanc, it’s of no surprise Château La Tour Figeac is beginning to have its moment. 
 
Château La Tour Figeac has a long history.  The promise of the soil was renowned during the Roman area, and there is evidence vines were cultivated at the property during that time.  Château La Tour Figeac split from its mother domain in the late 1800s, when Château Figeac was in the process of selling off a lot of its land. The enormous estate was originally 200-hectares prior to the Corbière family purchasing a parcel and naming it Château La Tour Figeac.  Eventually, Château La Tour Figeac was split in half once more, giving birth to Château La Tour Du Pin Figeac.  The property is presently owned and managed by the Rettenmaier family, who purchased the estate in 1973. This 15-hectare Right Bank estate is planted with 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc.  As is typical of the graves region of Saint-Émilion, the terroir is a mixture of gravel and sandy clay over a clay subsoil. 
 
The vines are approximately 35 years old on average and are biodynamically farmed.  The essential component of the viticultural philosophy over at Château La Tour Figeac is that the vines are the center of attention, and are cultivated with a mixture of ancestral know how and more modern techniques.  Here, the grapes are organic and sprayed with a combination of special teas to protect against pests and rot.  Château La Tour Figeac was at the forefront of biodynamic viticulture, having been practicing it since 1997.  In terms of grape growing, most of the work in the vineyard is done by hand.  The wine is aged in new oak barrels, and the Burgundian method of punching down the caps is used to create a rounder, fatter wine.  The goal is to create the most elegant and intense wine possible.  The Rettenmaier family made the intelligent decision to hire the talented Stephane Derenoncourt to consult at the estate.  The Derenoncourts are very much involved with day to day operations over at Château La Tour Figeac, as Stephane’s wife Christine is the director over at the property. 
 
The wine over at Château La Tour Figeac is versatile enough to be drunk on the younger side, yet age beautifully with time.  Once can often find elements of spice cake, plums, and a raging dark chocolatey intensity in this powerful wine.  Scores have been climbing to the lower 90s from some of the top critics, yet prices remain affordable at under $100.00.  For those who enjoy the mineral freshness associated with the gravely terroir of Château Figeac, they should consider this hidden gem of a property.

"Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 La Tour Figeac comes bounding out of the glass with rambunctious scents of stewed black cherries, mulberries and boysenberry preserves, plus wafts of spice cake, dark chocolate and aniseed. The medium to full-bodied palate is filled with spicy black fruits with a plush texture and just enough freshness, finishing savory." Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (05/20/2021) Rating: (90-92)+, Drink: 2024-2040

"Lots of black raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, and cedarwood notes emerge from the 2020 Château La Tour Figeac, which appears to easily be in the same qualitative ballpark as the 2015, 2015, and 2018. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, polished, and balanced, with lots of jammy fruits and floral notes, it should benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur Part 1, (05/23/2021) Rating: 91-93

"Powerful depth of colour and flavour. This starts out well, with pep, just loses a little power through the mid palate, but picks itself back up with a peppery finish. A little held back by the tannic structure at this point, with the low yields giving extra intensity, but no question there is real momentum here. In the third year of organic conversion. A yield of 20hl/ha. New harvest reception in this vintage with an additional round of grape sorting." Jane Anson, Bordeaux Primeur Week, (04/30/2021) Rating: 92

"The 2020 La Tour Figeac is an elegant Saint-Émilion loaded with class. Silky tannins and sweet, perfumed aromatics lend a real air of finesse. Bright red cherry fruit, mocha, cedar, leather and rose petals grace this understated, wonderfully classy 2020. All the elements are nicely balanced. I love the energy here." Antonio Galloni (June 2021) Rating: 91-93