2003 La Tour Figeac

Revealing more density and richness than it did last year, the blue/purple-colored 2003 offers up sweet notes of licorice, incense, black and blue fruits, and a hint of cherries. Medium-bodied, with excellent concentration, low acidity, and a sumptuous, hedonistic mouthfeel as well as finish, this is a wine to drink during its first 10-12 years of life. Once a part of the original Figeac vineyard, this has always been a property with enormous potential. The 36-acre vineyard is well-situated between Cheval Blanc and Figeac, with Pomerol looming on its western border. La Tour Figeac’s gravelly/sandy soils were not well served by the heat and drought in 2003, but the estate was reasonably successful. The wife of Stephane Derenoncourt, Christine, is now making the wines, which are given such Burgundian treatments as malolactic in barrel and aging on its lees. The blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc.