With its 40 hectares of vineyards, Figeac is the largest estate in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux, although it may now seem tiny compared to the 200 hectares it was in the late 18th century. Figeac is an ancient estate with its roots going back as far as the 2nd century; its name comes from Figeacus, owner of the property during the Gallo-Roman times. Over the years, owners continually bought and sold different parcels and plots, which explains why so many different chateaux have Figeac in their name.
In 1947, Thierry Manoncourt took over the running of Chateau Figeac, and it was under his leadership that the estate rose to the top flight of St. Emilion estates. He was actively involved with the estate until his death in 2010, at the age of 92, although his daughter Laure and his son-in-law, Comte Eric d’Aramon had been running the estate since the 1980s. After the reclassification of St. Emilion in 2013, when Figeac did not receive its much sought after promotion to Grand Cru Classé A, Figeac took action to further improve its wine and image. The first step was the hiring of enologist guru Michel Rolland. The composition of Figeac’s fine gravel (but not the typical limestone) based vineyards is distinctive for St. Emilion, with the usually dominant Merlot (30%) trailing Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) and Cabernet Franc (35%).