Ch. de Ferrand
Grand Cru Classe
Saint-Emilion
2020

The producer

Château de Ferrand is a prestigious Grand Cru Classé estate located in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux, with a history dating back to the 17th century. The château, which has been owned by the Bich family since 1978, is renowned for its commitment to producing wines that reflect the exceptional terroir of Saint-Émilion. The estate spans approximately 42 hectares of vineyards, primarily planted with Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. Château de Ferrand is known for its meticulous vineyard management and winemaking practices, combining tradition with modern techniques to enhance the quality of its wines. The wines from Château de Ferrand are celebrated for their balance, elegance, and aging potential, offering a rich expression of ripe fruit, subtle spice, and refined tannins. As a Grand Cru Classé, Château de Ferrand consistently produces wines that are both accessible in their youth and capable of developing complexity over time, making it a respected name in the Saint-Émilion region.

The wine

Château de Ferrand 2020, a Grand Cru Classé from Saint-Émilion, is an exceptional vintage that highlights the estate's dedication to quality and the unique characteristics of its terroir. The 2020 growing season in Bordeaux was marked by a warm and dry summer, leading to perfectly ripened grapes, primarily Merlot, with smaller contributions from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage showcases a deep, vibrant color and an aromatic bouquet filled with ripe blackberries, dark cherries, and plums, layered with hints of violets, spices, and a touch of oak from careful barrel aging. On the palate, the 2020 Château de Ferrand is full-bodied and rich, with velvety tannins and a well-balanced acidity that provides freshness and structure. The wine's depth and complexity make it approachable now, yet it has the potential to age gracefully for many years, revealing even more nuance and elegance. This vintage is a testament to the château's ability to craft wines that are both powerful and refined, making it a standout in the Saint-Émilion appellation.

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.