Chateau Yon-Figeac St. Emilion Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Yon-Figeac St. Emilion with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn about the best vintages, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on their vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Yon Figeac History, Overview

Chateau Yon-Figeac dates back to the summer of June 1881. As you can imagine from the name, Yon-Figeac was once a part of the massive Chateau Figeac estate, which gave birth to numerous St. Emilion estates that now bear the name of Figeac, as part of their name.

Chateau Yon-Figeac is owned  Alain Castle who also owns property in the Loire Valley region. Alain Castle purchased Chateau Yon-Figeac in 2005 from the Germain family who owned the vineyard since 1985 when it was purchased by Bernard Germain.

Chateau Yon Figeac Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 25 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Chateau Yon-Figeac is planted to 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Yon Figeac has the distinction of being one of the largest vineyards in the Right Bank that is in one, large single parcel.

The terroir is sand, clay, and iron deposits. The vines are old at an average age of 35 years of age.

Once the new owners took over, they began to add some Petit Verdot vines to the vineyard mix and increased the amount of Merlot as well, while decreasing the portion of Cabernet Franc.

To produce the wine of Chateau Yon-Figeac, vinification takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. On average, the wines are aged in 35% new, French oak barrels for between 12 to 14 months, depending on the quality and character of the vintage.

The best vintages of Chateau Yon Figeac are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2009 and 2005. Though I recently had a beautiful bottle of 1959, so older vintages from the best years might be worth taking a chance on, if well stored.

Chateau Yon-Figeac produces close to 7,500 cases of wine per year. There is a second wine, Les Roches de Yon-Figeac. While it’s common in Bordeaux to produce a second wine, Yon-Figeac is one of the few estates in the Right Bank that also produce a third St. Emilion wine as well, Yon Saint Martin.

When to Drink Chateau Yon Figeac, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Yon Figeac can be enjoyed on the young side with an hour or so of decanting. However, the wine is usually better at 2-4 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character.

In the best years, the wine will best between 10-15 years of age after the vintage. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Serving Chateau Yon Figeac with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Yon Figeac is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Yon Figeac is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Yon Figeac is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.

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