Bordeaux 2015 Primeurs: Château Figeac
I met and tasted with Frédéric Faye (pictured) at Château Figeac last year, but didn’t have my brain sufficiently switched on to take a photograph. Happily, this year I was rather more en forme, as they say. Frédéric was elevated to his current position a few years ago, part of the sweeping changes put in place after the property failed to secure elevation to the premier grand cru classe ‘A’ level of the new St Emilion classification, revised in 2012. Before we got stuck into the 2015 vintage, I asked Frédéric for a little more information on his history at Figeac.
“I started here fourteen years ago now, in 2002, and have been working my way up. It was only in 2008 that I was promoted to manager of the vineyard. Then in 2012 I took on the role of technical director, subsequently in 2013 I was appointed general manager”.
Frédéric was good enough to explain some of the developments he has been supervising over the past few years. This is a time of change for Château Figeac, and although I haven’t voiced the question it seems to me the ultimate aim is to seek promotion, to ultimately sit alongside the four current classe ‘A’ properties, when the classification is next revised. One of the most controversial aspects of this programme of change was engaging the services of Michel Rolland as a consultant. Some feared this would irrevocably change the style of the wine. Indeed, on tasting the 2014 vintage a year ago, from barrel, I noted that many proclaimed it ruined by his influence. I can only assume they were tasting what they expected to find, because I saw no major shift towards a Rolland style, and I thought the wine delicious.
