A great wine is the product of a scientific approach to viticulture: an in-depth knowledge of agriculture, biology, chemistry and oenology, combined with an analytical, far-seeing mind and a long-term approach.

We will mention just a few of the innovations and ground-breaking practices introduced at Figeac by agricultural engineer Thierry Manoncourt which have set standards for all of Bordeaux.

As early as 1947, in light of the fact that mechanisation had already been introduced in the United States and the south of France, Thierry Manoncourt decided to gradually replant the vineyards at Figeac, leaving a distance of 1.50 metres between the vine rows. The vines were trained slightly higher to compensate for the extra sunlight. Also, the rows of vines were aligned from one plot to the next, stretching sometimes as much as one kilometre. At the time, this was a radical move.

In 1949, Thierry Manoncourt began making artificial fertiliser from vine shoots to replenish the nourishment sucked up from the soil by the growing vines. This innovation consisted of grinding up the vine shoots and then fermenting them with horse manure.

For many years, La Bouillie Bordelaise (Bordeaux mixture, a solution of lime and copper sulphate) was used to treat the vines against disease. This was replaced by "Captane" (Esso 406). Thierry Manoncourt was the first in the Bordeaux area to use (this substance in winegrowing.

Following repeated outbreaks of grey rot in Bordeaux in 1963 and 1965, Thierry Manoncourt decided to prntect his vines with dichofluamide, the effects of which he had been closely studying. This was one of the reasons why he was able to uphold his Premier Cru Classé ranking by the Classification Committee for the 1968 vintage. Figeac was the only classified estate in Saint-Emilion in this particular vintage.

These examples of technical progress are only a few of the many that have been introduced at Figeac. They symbolise the unending quest for improvement in long-term, scientific winegrowing.