Figeac 1989

Tasted at the Château Figeac vertical at the property. In many ways, the 1989 Figeac was the biggest surprise of the vertical tasting. Hitherto lambasted by critics (including myself I might had), here it seemed to have undergone some Damascene conversion! 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.

Score: 93

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 31 August 2016