Is Figeac about to become Parkerized?

[DavidG]

A post from Bob on eRP, emphasis mine:

First day of spring, and finally the appalling weather,hail,thunder, gale-force winds, torrential rain, has blown out of the region...but there be some storm clouds(prices for 2012s, global market conditions,a new austerity government in China) on the horizon. Some thoughts from tastings the last 5 days with 3 more to go:
1.three major chateaux in Sauternes will not make a 2012-Yquem,Rieussec,Suduiraut
2. clearly 2012 was a very challenging vintage, but there are some real high points, especially in Pomerol,Graves(top dry whites also),and St.Emilion-sounds alot like the successes of 1998(right bank wines and Graves).
3.the long-term under-achiever Figeac has made some dramatic changes with the dynamic 80 year old Madame Manoncourt in control-Michel Rolland is the new consultant,and Valmy Nicolas the overall administrator.Valmy hails from the family that owns La Conseillante,and when he was a youngster spent several week as a guest in our home learning English....look for major improvements starting in 2013
4.most everyone here agrees prices have to come down and 2011 was priced too high...but I have heard this song all too frequently with no real change
5.trivia-the biggest market for Bordeaux in Africa is......Cameroon...
Lastly, the new bridge over the Gironde opened last weekend-a stunning structure, and it already seems to have eased the traffic congestion... .

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

... Valmy Nicolas the overall administrator.Valmy hails from the family that owns La Conseillante,and when he was a youngster spent several week as a guest in our home learning English....

Sounds like a Parker embed. Several weeks is plenty of time to "indoctrinate" a young, impressionable mind.

By the way, the "storm clouds" are all problems for the producers. They would seem to be advantages for the consumers. I warned you there was a "Parker-Rolland enological complex."

[Bacchus]

Oh God, why do they keep doing this? Every wine board I visit complains vociferously about the Parkerization of wine, from BWE to Berserkers to Alice Feiring, to etc etc etc. The complaint is so loud they even made a movie trashing the Parker/Rolland internationalization of wine. And yet . . . Maybe if we all did something -- get all the posters on all the boards to write Figeac requesting them not to Parkerize their wine? Would that work? Or will the tide keep rolling no matter what?

[JimHow]

Very sad what is happening in Bordeaux right before our eyes as a result of Parker.

But, alas, you guys have polled heavily in favor of Parker as a net POSITIVE for Bordeaux....

So are you all, all honorable men....

[Claret]

Rolland must be a bazillionaire by now.

[Comte Flaneur]

Belair, then Magdelaine now Figeac...the Parkerisation of St-Emilion is nearly complete...what a tragedy...but at Figeac I think the change has already started...stock up on the 2006, 2007 and especially the 2008, the last great Figeac.

What happened to Comte Eric D'Aramon?

[RDD]

Maybe not so much doom and gloom.
Valmy hails from the family that owns La Conseillante. So maybe some family memebers will give some good advice.
La Conseillante makes some pretty good wines IMHO.

[DavidG]

I would be more inclined to buy Figeac if they took some lessons from Conseillante. Can that be done without entirely destroying its Figeacity? I'm not sure what Valmy's role as "overall administrator" will be. I actually don't believe that Rolland is a one-trick pony so it will be interesting to see where they go. But I can't imagine that they won't go riper. One of the great things about Bordeaux is that there is such a wide range of styles. Figeac is a sort of standard bearer for one style, regardless of whether you like it or ridicule it. The thought of it becoming less iconic is disturbing.

[Comte Flaneur]

With Rolland the name really rings alarm bells but it really depends how much influence he has.
Arguably, or according to some, he doesn't have much sway at Pontet-Canet, but his imprimatur is more evident at estates like Leoville-Poyferre and Pape Clement, which didn't stop Pape making great wine in 2010.
Regarding La Conseillante, it is a more modern and polished style these days under Jean Michel Laporte. And with that it has lost some of that quintessential 'je ne sai quoi' from vintages like 1981, 192 and 1985, and possibly 1989 and 1990 as well. Having said that Conseillante was spectacular in 2010 and way better than Figeac. I think with 2009 and 2010 Figeac lost its way. Neither one thing nor the other, neither Arthur nor Martha.

[OrlandoRobert]

Sadly, at its price-point, this debate for me becomes purely academic. I paid less for a 1990 Figeac last year than the price of current releases. I love the past but cannot afford the future (with this estate).

[RDD]

Sadly, at its price-point, this debate for me becomes purely academic. I paid less for a 1990 Figeac last year than the price of current releases. I love the past but cannot afford the future (with this estate).

The 1990 is a great Figeac.

[OrlandoRobert]

Sadly, at its price-point, this debate for me becomes purely academic. I paid less for a 1990 Figeac last year than the price of current releases. I love the past but cannot afford the future (with this estate).

The 1990 is a great Figeac.

Yup, ranks up there with my faves of 1990.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

I love the past but cannot afford the future (with this estate).

Those Chateau which do not repeat the past are condemned to the modern style of the future.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

The 08 Figeac is $80 at JJ Buckley. The 09 is 3x that.

[Bacchus]

Sipping on a glass of the 08 now. Nothing Parkerized about this wine. Indeed, about as far from a Parker style wine as I can imagine. Light and clean in the mouth; no syrup or viscosity in this wine! Good line of acid keeping it all crisp; perhaps even a bit tart towards the end though. Noticeable tannins, but they don't set one's teeth on edge. Lots of blueberry in the mouth, with some black raspberry and blackberry sorts of flavours; cedar showing from the mid-palate on. Just a hint of asparagus, but not obtrusive or offensive. Savory too, so not just fruit. Sure it's more austere than the 2009 Phelan-Segur, but this is no jam pot topped off with a shot of vodka! This won't be to everyone's liking, some will call it light weight and thin. But if you want relief from the thickness and alcohol of the 09s, this will do it. Bottle says 13.5% alc. Enjoy all you old school people!

[DavidG]

Here's an article from Panos Kakaviatos on the Rolland style:
http://www.connectionstowine.com/bordea ... au-figeac/

There's no question that Rolland goes for a riper, lusher style. But my recollection from our visit and tasting at the Rolland lab in 2005 was that there was some real diversity in the wines we were shown. I don't have my notes, but some of them exhibited good freshness and acid/tannin backbone. A lot of them seemed all about ripeness. Which is fine with me, I like both styles but just hope the classics don't become extinct. But not every wine was like that. It will be interesting to see if Rolland is given free reign, resulting in full-on Pavie-ization (I hope not), or if he is being brought in to fix some things without doing a total makeover.

[Bacchus]

Get the 08 before it's gone! It's the last of the old style with a price tag that is anywhere near affordable. My biggest Figeac disappointment: about 2 yrs ago I passed on a half case of the 06. Rethinking my decision I returned to the store and voila, it was gone! I really like the 06 Figeac!

[Bacchus]

The sense of mourning over this turn of events continues to grow. John Gilman tweets: "Saddest news I've had in a month of Mondays (at least since the decapitation of Ch Magdelaine)- Michel Rolland hired to consult at Ch Figeac"

[Claudius2]

Guys
What a pity as I have always regarded Figeac as one of the best St Emilions.
In a big right bank tasting of St Emilion 08s last year I rated it the best just ahead of Beausejour DL.
Oh well.