Figeac - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1990

Decanter.com

93 / 100

byJane Ansonthe11/15/2017

1990 was a warm year, and you get clear indications of a ripe harvest with the abundant flavours of figs and damsons, with soft, integrated woodsmoke. Liquorice and cedar run through the palate. I love their handling of oak here, where the benefits of the 100% new barrels and the structure of the Cabernets come into their own in this tertiary phase. This is a lovely wine to slow down with, to take a breath and remember old friends. The second bottle was not so good by the way - expect some variation at this stage in its life.

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe6/30/2009

This is a strong effort for Figeac, but the wine is fully mature and is beginning to fade slightly. It offers a terrific bouquet of roasted herbs, cedarwood, licorice, sweet cherries, and background foresty/underbrush notes, a fleshy attack, medium body, sweet fruit, and plenty of glycerin, but the tannins provide a pinched finish that evaporates quickly leaving only astringency. This wine tires within 45 minutes of opening, so it needs to be drunk over the next 4-5 years, if not sooner. And, do not over-aerate!

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe8/31/2000

Ruby color. Interesting aromas of plums, leaves and berries. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a ripe fruit and chocolate aftertaste. Rich and chunky Figeac.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. 12,500 cases made.

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1997

One of Bordeaux's most schizophrenic properties, as disappointing as Figeac's 1989 has turned out, the 1990 is fabulous. This property has not made a wine as rich as the 1990 since 1982. In contrast to the 1989, the 1990 is a great Figeac, potentially a richer, more complete and complex wine than the 1982. The 1990 exhibits a saturated dark purple color (somewhat atypical for Figeac), and a gorgeous nose of olives, fruitcake, jammy black fruits, minerals, and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, with gobs of glycerin-imbued, sweet, jammy fruit, this wine is nicely buttressed by moderate tannin and adequate acidity. Fleshy and rich, as well as elegant and complex, it is approachable because of the wine's sweet fruit, but it promises even more pleasure with 2-4 more years of bottle age; it will last for 20 years. I predict the 1990 Figeac will have one of the most exotic and compelling aromatic profiles of the 1990s. It is a terrific wine!

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe10/31/1994

Tasted 6 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes The exceptional 1990 is the first authoritative Figeac since their splendid 1982. The huge nose of new saddle leather, herbs, black fruits, and smoke is followed by a wine with exceptional concentration, excellent balance and depth, and a smooth-as-silk finish. Ripe tannin and sweet fruit combine to produce a splendidly opulent, rich Figeac that should drink well for two decades. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive notes I have ever given an infant vintage of Figeac. The wine bears more than a casual resemblance to its renowned neighbor, Cheval Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010.

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1993

The exceptional 1990 is the first great Figeac since their splendid 1982. When Figeac gets everything right, as it did in 1990, the result is one of the most compelling wines in Bordeaux. The huge nose of new saddle leather, herbs, black fruits, and smoke is followed by a wine with exceptional concentration, excellent balance and depth, and a smooth-as-silk finish. Ripe tannins and sweet fruit combine to produce a splendidly opulent, rich Figeac that should drink well for two decades. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive notes I have ever given an infant vintage of Figeac. I should also note that the 1990 Figeac bears more than a casual resemblance to its renowned neighbor, Cheval Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010. A fabulous wine!