Château Figeac
Château-Figeac is a wine estate in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux.
, it is one of two chateaux to carry the highest rank in the official Saint-Émilion wine.
It is among the largest estates in Saint-Émilion, comprising in one block, of which are vineyards. Due to its soil, which is dominated by gravel, it is planted in grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Most other Saint-Émilion wines are dominated by Merlot, and Figeac therefore bears a certain semblance to the wines of Médoc and Graves despite being situated on Bordeaux's right bank. The wine, which is one of the most famous of Saint-Émilion, is aged in 100% new oak barrels.
From 1945 to 2011, the estate produced a second wine named La Grange Neuve de Figeac. From the 2012 vintage, the second wine of Figeac was rebranded as Petit-Figeac.
History
Château-Figeac originates from an ancient estate that traces its roots back to the 2nd century, when a Gallo-Roman villa was built on the estate and named after a Figeacus. In the late 18th century, the property was close to in size, but was sold and subdivided several times in the 19th century until 1892, when Henri de Chevremont bought it. Henriette, the daughter of de Chevremont, married André Villepigue and became the owner of Figeac. The estate was managed by Alfred Maquin, as the Villepigues lived in Paris. In 1905, their son Robert Villepigue took over the running of the estate. After Henriette's death in 1942, it was unclear if Robert Villepigue or his sister Adda Elizabeth would inherit the estate, but in 1946 it passed to Adda Elizabeth Manoncourt.In January 1947, Thierry Manoncourt, an agronomical engineer trained in Paris, took over the running of Château-Figeac, and it was under his leadership that the estate rose to the front ranks of Saint-Émilion estates. He was actively involved with the estate until his death in 2010, alongside his son-in-law Comte Eric d'Aramon, who was the Director from 1988 until 2013.
Since the passing of Thierry Manoncourt, his widow, Marie-France Manoncourt, the Honorary President of Château-Figeac, along with her family, has reenergized the estate with the appointment of Frédéric Faye as Managing Director. This new team notably oversaw the construction of new cellars. Constructed over 3 years, between 2018 and 2021, Château-Figeac's new cellars comprise 5,000 m2 of surface area over three levels, extending 12 meters underground.