Château La Tour Figeac

The château

Figeac, which had once run to about 200 hectares, began selling off parcels in 1876, and in 1879 Pierre Corbière bought a section of 37 hectares. Édouard Féret, whose guide with Charles Cocks was the reference book of the Bordeaux trade, drew its borders in his survey of Libourne of 1897: the chemin d’Aiguille divided it from Figeac to the south, the Pomerol road from Cheval Blanc to the east, and it held the heights between the 2, called les Montilles. It was already a first growth of the gravel, at 70 tonneaux (the old Bordeaux measure of a crop, 900 liters, or 4 barrels). In 1881 the piece had itself been divided, and the other half became Château La Tour du Pin Figeac, a name that later belonged to 2 separate estates and has tangled the story ever since. The Moueix estate was bought by Cheval Blanc in 2006, and part of its vineyard joined Cheval Blanc’s own in 2012; the Giraud-Bélivier estate was left out of the classification of 2012 and appealed without success.

La Tour Figeac itself has never moved: a Grand Cru Classé since the first classification of 1955, in every list since, to 2022. The Rettenmaier family bought it in 1973, Otto Maximilian Rettenmaier has run it since 1994, and Christine Derenoncourt is technical director. The vineyard has been worked on biodynamic lines since 1997 and held organic certification from 2021 until 2024.

The vineyard is about 14.5 hectares in one block on gravel and sandy clay over clay, with more gravel on the side nearer Cheval Blanc, planted at about 6,500 vines a hectare with Merlot and Cabernet Franc in something close to 2 parts to 1, the vines 35 years old on average. Fermentation is in stainless steel and in 6 wooden vats, each named after a composer. L’Esquisse de La Tour Figeac is the second wine, and Cuvée Lucie 45 comes from selected parcels.

At a glance

Appellation

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Commune

Saint-Émilion, on the gravel toward Cheval Blanc

Classification

Grand Cru Classé, every list from 1955 to 2022

Owners

The Rettenmaier family, since 1973

Direction

Otto Maximilian Rettenmaier, since 1994; Christine Derenoncourt, technical director

Vineyard

About 14.5 hectares in one block; about 6,500 vines a hectare; vines 35 years old on average

Soil

Gravel and sandy clay over clay, more gravel toward Cheval Blanc Terroir of Saint-Émilion →

Grapes

Merlot and Cabernet Franc, close to 2 parts to 1

Farming

Biodynamic lines since 1997; certified organic from 2021 to 2024

Cellar

Stainless steel and 6 wooden vats, each named after a composer

Wines

Château La Tour Figeac; L’Esquisse de La Tour Figeac; Cuvée Lucie 45

In history

Cut from Figeac in 1879; a first growth of the gravel at 70 tonneaux in 1897