Château de Ferrand 2021

Ripe-fruited, with blackberry, blueberry and cedar notes, the wine shows a slightly creamy texture on the palate, yet remains linear and fresh, with lively acidity and a firm, austere finish.

Shows ripeness and flesh, with a core of dark plum and black cherry compote notes lined with singed tobacco and apple wood. Reveals a light tug of warm earth on the finish. Solid for the vintage. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2030. 7,000 cases made, 600 cases imported.

Lovely heady fragrance on the nose with perfumed black fruits. Clean and clear on the palate, excellent precision and focus, direct and lean, but still with a fun juiciness and sense of lift. The tannins are straight and supportive - this doesn't really deviate from the core - but it has a lovely fruit and tannin expression with a long finish. Elegant and nicely worked with freshness and juicy red cherries and raspberries alongside some slightly green fruit notes and a salty tang to the finish. Great for early to medium term drinking to enjoy the freshness and sense of ease.

This shows pretty notes of cherries, dark berries, violets, licorice and chocolate. It’s supple and balanced with a medium body, tasty berry fruit and medium-firm tannins. Fleshy, creamy finish. Drink from 2025.

The 2021 Château de Ferrand has a lifted bouquet of redcurrant and wild strawberry fruit, dried rose petals, red plum and pain d’épices. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm structure and fine tannins. Quite fresh thanks to the acidity, the 2021 has a harmonious, almost Left Bank finish. This is a well-crafted Saint-Émilion that knows it would have been unwise to push too hard.

Espresso, cocoa, flowers and red fruits are easy to spot in the wine’s aromatic profile. The palate is soft, fresh and energetic with layers of sweet, ripe, pure raspberries, red plums and hints of strawberries, with just a squeeze of orange rind on the back end of the finish. Drink from 2024–2036.

Dark ruby core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Some nougat, hints of red cherries, fresh plums, some vanilla and orange zest. Medium body, red cherries, fresh acidity, salty and lively, a multi-layered food companion.

Spiced red and blue fruits, spicy oak, graphite, and some earthy nuances all emerge from the 2021 Château De Ferrand, a healthy ruby-hued, medium-bodied, nicely concentrated Saint-Emilion that has well-balanced tannins and a good finish.

Clear spices and clove in bottle as during En Primeur—expect a fairly concentrated delivery on the opening notes. It’s good quality, well balanced and structured, with pomegranate, red cherry, smoked earth and mandarin peel. Axel Marchal is the consultant here, with owners Philippe and Pauline Bich-Chandon-Moët. Harvest stretched from late September through to October 19.

A blend of 64% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 de Ferrand is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It features notes of dried cherries, raisin cake, and dusty soil, with hints of dried herbs. The medium-bodied palate is watery and chewy, with a curious raisiny character on the finish.

A sparkling, charming nose that draws attention, with ripe red fruits wrapped in a scent of summer flowers, honest and soothing. A round, generous palate and a beautiful aromatic concentration suggest good ageing potential.

The 2021 reveals itself in a crescendo. It opens with spicy and floral notes, then gains in fruity expression as the minutes pass. Slender in character, the wine benefits from the valuable support of its acidic structure, which brings liveliness and tension while the tannins work behind the scenes. The fruity expression is subdued on the palate, but given the structure, it will emerge sooner or later. A saline, vibrant, and sapid wine that should be closely followed as it evolves. For now, it needs time to blossom. The acidic structure leads the wine, but I believe the tannins have the substance to claim their share of the throne!

The nose is fruity, elegant and racy, offering finely tuned intensity, a certain power, precision and a touch of delicacy. It reveals notes of vibrant wild blackcurrant, cherry and, more subtly, violet, with hints of strawberry, fine touches of blue fruits, licorice, a discreet hint of lilac, a sense of place/limestone and a subtle touch of pepper. The palate is fruity, balanced, beautifully racy and offers juiciness, accuracy, lovely energy, freshness, a slight tension and depth. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, blackcurrant and, more lightly, fresh/tangy red berries (raspberry, redcurrant) combined with touches of cornflower, crushed blueberry, hints of Bourbon vanilla, toasted notes, chocolate, as well as fine touches of salinity/iodine and a discreet hint of toasted/crushed almond. The tannins are elegant, racy and sapid. Good length. Very nice persistence. A very discreet varietal note on the back palate.

Dark, deep purple colour. Intense nose with ripe fruit. Delicate on entry, delicious mid-palate, with a sleek, melting body, the wine caresses the palate. It gains on the finish, sappy and aromatic, with average length. This is an estate on the rise where recent vintages show better on the back palate. Blend: 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 13.45% - pH: 3.55. Yield: 28 hl/ha.

Red-fruit aromas show well in this Merlot-dominated wine. It is richly textured yet with a fresh edge, typical of the vintage. Tannins are light, with black-currant flavors and delicious acidity. Drink the wine from 2026.