Château de Ferrand

The history of Château de Ferrand dates back to the 17th century and was forged in the grand tradition of the Bordeaux wine-growing estates, those that helped the region gain its illustrious reputation.
Like all the Grands Crus of Bordeaux, the estate has experienced periods of great prosperity – Louis XIV’s court flocked to Ferrand renowned for its parties – and much quieter periods. Mademoiselle de Scudéry, the French writer and close friend of Elie de Bétoulaud, spent time at Ferrand working on her poetry.

One of the oldest and most consistent estates in  Saint-Emilion, in 300 years Château de Ferrand has belonged to just two families; that of Elie de Bétoulaud, who passed the estate down to his descendant the Marquis de Mons and his heirs, and that of Baron Bich, founder of the famous Bic company. Nowadays the estate is managed by Pauline Bich Chandon-Moët, with help from her husband Philippe Chandon-Moët.

The unique character of a Grand Cru Classé mainly comes from its exceptional terroir: with 32 hectares of vines made up of Merlot (81%), Cabernet franc (18%) and Cabernet sauvignon (1%) on an estate covering 42 hectares in total, Château de Ferrand is blessed with a complex terroir of outstanding potential.

The vineyard is planted on the Saint-Hippolyte limestone-clay plateau at around 100 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest in the appellation, overlooking a bend in the Dordogne valley. The soil is well drained, thanks to channels that carry away excess water, and the rising currents of air sometimes manage to divert storms away from the estate. The vineyard’s altitude and exposure provide temperatures that are slightly cooler than those in the Saint-Emilion lowlands.

To produce wine of the highest quality, Château de Ferrand undertook a program of replanting, tailoring its choice of plant material to the estate’s different soil types. At Château de Ferrand, each plot is handled differently according to its potential and individual characteristics. 

The vineyard is composed of four different types of soil. They are all very different, but share one common feature: a relatively high concentration of clay. It is widely acknowledged that clay-rich soils in the Bordeaux region offer great winemaking potential. The diverse soils paired with the local climate highlights the complexity and huge potential of Ferrand’s terroirs to produce structured, complex and elegant wines.

Château de Ferrand has been committed to seeking environmental balance via a charter since 2012, and has held Terra Vitis certification (renewed annually) for the past seven years. Ferrand has also held HVE (High Environmental Value) level 3 certification since 2018. The vineyard is being converted to organic.

The harvested fruit is sorted in two stages, first by hand and then with an optical sorting system, before the grapes are gravity-fed into vats. This use of gravity is fairly advanced at Ferrand, as the cellars have numerous underground vats that also enable gravity-driven running off. The vats are of various capacities so that the fruit from each plot can be processed individually, ensuring maximum traceability. The fruit from each batch is vinified and matured separately with the same attention to detail.

The wine is then transferred to barrels in a magnificent cellar and left for 12 to 18 months of maturing, with 35% of the French oak barrels replaced annually, sourced from the best coopers. Throughout the vinification process each batch is regularly tasted and several potential blends are produced.

Commercial considerations have no place in the blending process, with the sole priority being to create fine wine of the highest quality. Achieving the best from every vintage involves placing human expertise at the service of nature, and not the other way around.

The wine is bottled at Ferrand and stored in aboveground and underground cellars, which are equipped throughout with temperature control systems to create optimal storage conditions for the wine.

Château de Ferrand is now hailed as one of Saint-Emilion’s most promising wines.