Chateau Figeac Chateau Figeac 2019

Situated to the west of Saint-Emilion bordering Pomerol, CHATEAU-FIGEAC is a stunning vine-growing location.

Its terroir, with its 3 gravel outcrops, forms the platform on which the prestige of its wines has been built. The soils have outstanding viticultural potential, which explains and justifies the unique grape composition and its balance of 3 main grape varieties - Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon –which is unique in the Bordeaux area. The largest property in Saint-Emilion, it is made up of 40 hectares (99 acres) of vines, added to which there are 14 hectares (35 acres) of grounds, meadows, a pond and woods, all of which are located around the château.

Care and attention for this biodiversity of flora and fauna is especially valued at FIGEAC.
FIGEAC’s great terroir

The soils which produce the wines of FIGEAC are mostly composed of sandy-gravel alluvium originating from France’s Massif Central mountains and deposited by rivers (the Isle in particular) at the beginning of the Quaternary era. In the Bordeaux area these soils are essentially found in a few vineyards in Saint-Emilion (FIGEAC/ Cheval Blanc), Pomerol, and on the left bank of the river at classified growths in the appellations of Pessac-Léognan and the Médoc, especially Margaux.

The gravelly topsoil, distributed in the form of “outcrops” (which are very pronounced at Figeac), favours the accumulation and reflection of heat, creating a very favourable microclimate for the ripening of the grapes and for obtaining complexity and finesse in the wines. The slopes of the outcrops provide good extra natural drainage for rainwater.
The subsoil contributes diversity to the terroir with very deep gravel layers (about 7m) and others in which clay is found at depth (about 1m), which favours good vine growth and the full ripening of the grapes.

These soils have outstanding vine-growing potential. They warm up quickly in spring, favouring early vine shooting and of course the early ripening of the grapes. This explains and justifies FIGEAC’s original grape composition with its balance of the three main grape varieties – Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon – which is unique in the Bordeaux area. The late-ripening Cabernets mature perfectly in FIGEAC’s soils.

Gravel soils are naturally not very fertile and bring about only moderate vine vigour and consequently low yields, which favour natural concentration and high quality grapes.

The blocking of grape ripening caused by water deficit stress, due to excessively hot and dry summer weather (frequently observed in other gravelly vineyards), hardly ever occurs at FIGEAC. The strong sandy-gravel soil texture and the relatively deep clay soils bring about moderate and regular water supply to the vines. Ideal conditions are therefore found at FIGEAC for perfect grape ripening.

TERROIR ALSO DEPENDS ON THE VINE GROWER… a quotation from Wine and winemaking philosophy.

A large estate covering some 54 hectares (133 acres), FIGEAC is home to remarkable biodiversity features that form a wonderful natural setting.

The Manoncourt family lives at the property, which is surrounded by great open spaces that give a majestic feel to the place. Five hectares (12 acres) of grounds, meadows, a pond, an arboretum, a bamboo garden, a warren planted with English, Holm, and Cork oak trees, as well as hundreds of China rose bushes that border the vine rows, together with all the appreciative fauna, make this estate unique.

Madame Manoncourt takes particular care in watching over the beauty of the whole of the estate.