Tasted at Thierry Mamoncourt's 90th birthday lunch at Taillevent in Paris, the 1947 Figeac has a clear, deep-garnet core with a thin tawny rim. The nose displays moderate intensity, harnessing the summer heat, yet the Cabernet component keeps a lid on the vintage's trademark precocity: a touch of blackberry leaf, leather and dark chocolate with a touch of dill developing with time in the glass. A medium-bodied palate with firm tannins that tend to soften with time, this is a rather obdurate Figeac mellowing and becoming more affable with aeration. That core of masculinity so atypical for the vintage gives way to a muted form of elegance. Hints of raspberry leaf, sous-bois and leather with just a faint hint of brown sugar complete this very complex wine that is still holding up well in Figeac’s typically “classic” style. Tasted December 2007.