Château de Ferrand 2019

Fresh and elegant, a velvety Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé

The estate

Located a few kilometres away from Saint-Émilion, on the right bank of Bordeaux, Château de Ferrand was founded in 1702 by Elie de Bétoulaud and was subsequently acquired by Baron Bich in December 1977. Since 1994, his daughter Pauline and her husband Philippe Chandon-Moët have taken over the running of the estate. Carrying out numerous improvements and innovations, their work was rewarded in the classification of Château de Ferrand, ranking as a Grand Cru Classé in 2012. Gonzague de Lambert has been the director of Château de Ferrand since 2017.

Made with great precision, the wines of Château de Ferrand are renowned for their structure, their aromas of ripe red fruit mixed with a delicate freshness and fine tannins.

The vineyard

Château de Ferrand’s vineyard spreads across 42 hectares of vines, of which a 32-hectare single-block vineyard is used in the production of the estate’s wines. The vines are planted at the end of the Saint Emilion limestone plateau, on a ledge that overlooks the curving Dordogne valley. This location leads to an excellent drainage of the soil thanks to runoff, which, combined with the ideal altitude and sun exposure, gives rise to fine Saint-Emilion wines.

Obtaining the Terra Vitis certification in 2012 and HEV level 3 in 2018, Château de Ferrand manages its vineyard using environmentally friendly practices, both in the vineyard (mechanical soil tillage, inter-row grassing, manual harvesting) and in the 10 hectares of forest or meadows that surround the vineyard.

The vintage

At Château de Ferrand, the 2019 vintage will have been marked by significant climatic variations, regarding the entire Bordeaux vineyard. The mild winter led to an early budbreak. The frost episodes in April and May spared Château de Ferrand’s vineyard. July and August were followed by high temperatures with significant heatwaves. Thanks to the clay soils on the limestone slate, the vines were able to withstand water stress. The shifting temperatures between day and night during the month of September favoured a slow and healthy ripening process. The 2019 harvest thus began on September 19th. During this year, the technical teams at Château de Ferrand were ready to react quickly in the event of climatic hazards.

The blend

Merlot (73%)

Cabernet Franc (27%).

Château de Ferrand 2019: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Nose

The nose is bright and charming with its fruity fragrances. The smoothness of the Merlot variety is balanced by the freshness of the Cabernet Franc grape.

Palate

Velvety, the palate showcases a beautiful framework: a tannic feel combines with a fresh and fine expression. Boasting a great elegance and a beautiful aromatic intensity, this Château de Ferrand 2019 is undoubtedly a promising vintage and is destined to evolve beautifully over time.