Figeac on their 2016

[AKR]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... r-wet-june

[Comte Flaneur]

I was at that tasting - I may have reported it here - and I had a chat with Frederic Faye afterwards, who was very optimistic about 2016 and most friendly, despite the fact that Hortense did not like my line of questioning on D'Aramon, Rolland, and her vision for the future of the estate, and made it plain that she was irked. After a meandering, discombobulated diatribe finishing with "is that good enough for you?" I nodded like a donkey. She is obviously calling the shots and is basically a rich kid with a silver spoon in her mouth trying to get enthusiastic about Figeac, and her father's legacy, at her elderly mother's behest. Fred was conducting the tasting but she kept on grabbing the mike out of his hands.

I have little doubt that this estate has the ambition to take up its rightful place among the St-Emilion First Growths/Class As. It only means one thing: the prices are going to sky rocket. I just missed out on some 15...like that elusive bar of soap in the shower...and then the prices soared. I can confidently predict the 2016 will be very ambitiously priced, and by 2020 Figeac will be priced close to Cheval Blanc. I don't feel so crushed about missing out on the high alcohol 2015, but I do regret not latching on to some 2011, D'Aramon's last vintage, which ironically has soared in value too. We tasted it at the estate in 2015. It was also a stand out at the tasting last month. I had to make do with a case of the 2012 instead, Rolland's first vintage as consultant. I have not tried it. I am sure it is very good.

[AKR]

Yes some blog thinks Figeac along with Giscours are estates that will have existing stocks going up in price, as well as the chateau driven price hikes on newer releases.

I suppose NM making high profile articles on them has something to do with that.

Figeac always felt a shade too expensive for me, on release.

Especially for such a huge production wine.

I'm just going to put my faith in the greenback, and a slowing Asian economy*, to perhaps put Figeac back in the realm of 'very occasional'

* https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/ ... aux-wines/

[greatbxfreak]

Comte,

I met Hortense first time in 1988...

Frederik Faye has been at the property since 2002, I believe is Hortense's mother Mme Manoncourt who is calling the shots.

I don't know the future prices, but the quantities of 2016 in Bordeaux are more than generous.

2016 Figeac can according to F.Faye excel 2015. 2012 is really good. Luc d'Aramon looked tired and disinterested when I met him last time (2014). Obtaining perfect ripeness inside and outside grapes wasn't his strong side of management.

[Comte Flaneur]

Yes Izak - hence my use of the word 'behest' - most late-80 something year olds need to delegate. Hortense is the chosen delegatee. The reason why D'Aramon probably looked tired and disinterested was probably because he had been fired! He didn't always achieve perfect ripeness...May be that was part of the attraction - is 'perfect' ripeness always a first best outcome? What are the optimal level of yields?

[JimHow]

is 'perfect' ripeness always a first best outcome?

A very good question. I would say the answer is: not always.

[Tom In DC]

Hmmm - I'd say perfect ripeness - reflecting "these grapes on this site" - would be an absolutely necessary condition for making the best wine. At the same time, I'm not suggesting that sufficient Brix to knock out 15+% alcohol is perfect in every situation.

[JimHow]

But that is the quandary, no? What is the definition of "perfect ripeness"?
And if "perfect ripeness" means high alcohol, "sufficient Brix to knock out 15+% alcohol," internationalization, Californization, Parkerization, etc., is "perfect ripeness" therefore always the best first outcome?

So I guess the first question is: What is the definition of "perfect ripeness"?

[AKR]

Interestingly, Francoise Mitjavile doesn't even start his harvest at Roc de Cambes until AFTER his neighbors have finished theirs.

And he is obsessive about ripeness. He seems to very critical of his neighbors, who follow tradition in their harvest calendar, rather than what the grapes indicate.

RdC is a remarkable Bourg, so maybe he is on to something.

And at $50-$60 for current releases its priced more like a mid range St Emilion.

[JimHow]

What is the definition of perfect ripeness?

[AKR]

Mitjavile can look at a picture like that and identify any offending grapes.

[Nicklasss]

Perfect ripeness definition (in terms Jimhow can understand) : Cabernet sauvignon, Médoc peninsula, 1996.

Nic

[JimHow]

Yes basically you mean Nic when the Medoc wines were last 12.5%.

[greatbxfreak]

Perfect ripeness is so-called phenolic ripeness, which means seeds and skin being ripe. When juice inside grapes is sweet, you have the ripeness inside, when skins does taste sweet too, you have ripeness outside. 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2015 are all perfect examples of perfect phenolic ripeness. With a little exception of 2009, all the mentioned vintages have perfectly ripe tannin too. You can soon add 2016 vintage to this fabulous lineup. 38-42hl/ha everywhere (classified properties) in 2016.

Comte,

I understand what you mean....

[Tom In DC]

My point was that perfect ripeness has no single definition, but obviously not everyone will agree. And along AlohaArt's idea, that may mean flavors that the winemaker likes, even if critics and the market won't reward the vigneron with high prices.