Château de Ferrand Saint-Emilion 2020 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

This vast 32-hectare vineyard, located on the Saint-Hippolyte plateau, the highest point in the appellation, has undergone numerous improvements and is beginning to eloquently express the terroir, bolstered by its grand cru classé status acquired in 2012. Under the leadership of Pauline Bich Chandon-Moët and her husband, the estate has returned to the forefront and has acquired, in addition to new, more modern production facilities, an original wine tourism complex where visitors are welcomed "as if they were at home." One of the most pleasant places in the appellation. Spectacular progress, made possible by a highly talented technical team.

Decanter

About wine:

The captivating bouquet includes crushed mint, bright blueberries, juicy blackberries, and sloes. When tasted at the estate last year, the 2020 showed more structure than the 2019 and 2018, but this year it has blossomed into a magnificent wine of great class and refinement. Decanting is essential for this recent vintage, a favorite of Château de Ferrand, as it combines fresh, warm fruit with a long, persistent finish echoing black cherry and violet. The predominance of (ripe) tannins is good news for aging, even if it is difficult to resist the smooth texture on the palate today. Starting with this vintage, aging in amphorae (5%) (and new wood (30%)) has increased the level of freshness. The value for money is undeniable! 2024-2050

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

Built on elegance and energy, this grand cru is already very harmonious, mature, and complex, promising a bright future. It has everything: an open nose of cherry, blackberry, and violet, with toasted notes, a fine and velvety palate, surrounded by still firm tannins, and a long finish carried by quality oak. A beautiful classic from the appellation to be treasured. 2027-2037

About the estate:

The Gasparoux family runs a 16-hectare vineyard divided between Château Ferrand (acquired in 1934), covering 12 hectares on the southern slopes of the Pomerol plateau, and Haut Ferrand, covering 4 hectares around the church of Pomerol, acquired in the 1970s.

James Suckling

About wine:

Aromas of blackberry and redcurrant with notes of clove, vanilla, hazelnut, and wet stone. It is full-bodied and structured, with velvety, polished tannins and a creamy texture. The deep, invigorating character of black fruits is accompanied by a certain salinity. Lingering finish with notes of graphite and walnut. Try after 2025.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Château De Ferrand 2020 exudes aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, burnt earth, graphite, and a beautiful minerality. This medium-bodied to full-bodied Saint-Emilion is concentrated but wonderfully balanced. It is already enjoyable now but will benefit from bottle aging for only 2 to 4 years and will have an overall longevity of 15 to 20 years, if not more. This is another incredible 2020 from the right bank. 2026-2046

Yves Beck

About wine:

This is the kind of wine that should not be tasted in a hurry, especially if you go by its initial nose, which is strongly influenced by the aging process. A little aeration immediately reposition the olfactory character, revealing nuances of black berries and chalky notes. On the palate, the wine stands out for its density and finesse. It combines charm and power, but in a measured, elegant way. The tannins reveal themselves slowly across the palate. They form a beautiful symbiosis with the acidic structure, which lends welcome freshness and tension. Compared to the primeurs, the tannins have gained in finesse and dimension. They are perfectly integrated and complement the incisive tension of the structure. A Ferrand with character, certainly one of the team's greatest successes. In the end, it is finesse that prevails... a key element in this vintage. 2026-2040

Vert de Vin

About wine:

The nose is fruity, fresh, and elegant, with lovely definition and a certain aromatic purity. There are notes of bright blackcurrant, wild strawberry and, more subtly, juicy raspberry, combined with hints of black plum, incense/graphite, toasted notes, Sichuan pepper, and a subtle hint of spice and tobacco. The palate is fruity, balanced, beautifully racy and offers a lovely finesse of grain, delicacy, good definition and a fine acidic structure, with very fine tension. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/bright blackcurrant, small black berries and, more subtly, juicy/fresh blueberry, combined with hints of fleshy strawberry, cherry blossom, blueberry, racy minerality (limestone), toasted notes, tonka bean, subtle hints of spice, and good bitterness. Good length. The tannins are precise and very finely mellow.