CHÂTEAU FIGEAC

The 1989 Figeac, picked September 11 to 29, was tasted with winemaker Frédéric Faye at the estate, although it was clearly not representative. Another bottle tasted a couple of weeks later in London chimes with my several previous encounters. Warm gravel, clove and a hint of licorice gradually unfurl on the nose, which is not overly complex and yet has rustic charm. That rusticity follows through on the palate, where hints of fennel and basil tinge the red fruit. Quite ferrous toward the finish, which is now just beginning to lose a bit of puff. Drink bottles over the next 10 years. Tasted at the estate and privately. Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Sept 2019)

Generous on the nose, it does not quite offer the fruit intensity of the 1990, but there are lovely warm gravel and licorice aromas, all beautifully detailed. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, sensual in style with Provençal herbs and fennel tincturing the mixture of smudged red and black fruit. From all accounts, it appears to have been a wine that shot out of the blocks with style, then ran out of steam for many years. Yet here, it is as if the 1989 has rediscovered that youthful promise, perchance at a point in time when many bottles have been popped and poured. Tasted June 2015. Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2015)

Looks much more mature than the 1990 just tasted. Mid ruby with rusty rim. Intense, sweet with sweet licorice. Sweeter, smoother and more tarry than the 1990. Long and rich with layered undertow. Drinking range: 1998 - 2018 Rating: 18.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Jun 2015)