Château de Ferrand Saint-Emilion 2020 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

This vast, contiguous 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, which it earned in 2012. Under the leadership of Pauline Bich Chandon-Moët and her husband, the estate has returned to the forefront and has equipped itself not only with a new, more modern production facility but also with a unique wine tourism complex, where visitors are welcomed “just like at home.” One of the most pleasant spots in the appellation. Spectacular progress, made possible by a highly talented technical team.

Decanter

About the wine:

The captivating bouquet features crushed mint, vibrant blueberries, juicy blackberries, and sloes. When tasted at the estate last year, the 2020 showed more structure than the 2019 and 2018 vintages, but this year it has blossomed into a magnificent wine, displaying great class and refinement. Decanting is essential for this recent vintage—a favorite from Château de Ferrand—as it combines fresh and warm fruit notes, culminating in a long, lingering finish echoing black cherry and violet. The predominance of (ripe) tannins bodes well for aging, though it’s hard to resist the wine’s velvety texture on the palate today. Starting with this vintage, aging in amphorae (5%) and new oak (30%) has enhanced the wine’s freshness. The value for money is unbeatable! 2024–2050

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Built on elegance and vitality, this grand cru—already very harmonious, mature, and complex—promises a bright future. It lacks nothing: an open nose of cherry, blackberry, and violet, complemented by toasty notes; a refined and velvety palate framed by still-firm tannins; and a long finish carried by high-quality oak. A truly beautiful classic of the appellation, to be treasured and cellared. 2027–2037

About the estate:

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

James Suckling

About the wine:

Aromas of blackberry and red currant with notes of clove, vanilla, hazelnut, and damp stone. It is full-bodied and well-structured, with velvety, polished tannins and a creamy texture. The deep, invigorating character of the black fruits is accompanied by a hint of salinity. A lingering finish with notes of graphite and walnut. Best enjoyed after 2025.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The 2020 Château De Ferrand offers aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, burnt earth, graphite, and a lovely minerality. This medium- to full-bodied Saint-Emilion is concentrated yet wonderfully balanced. It’s already a pleasure to drink, but will benefit from just 2 to 4 years of bottle aging and will have an overall longevity of 15 to 20 years, or even longer. This is yet another incredible 2020 from the Right Bank. 2026–2046

Yves Beck

About the wine:

This is the kind of wine you shouldn’t try to taste in a hurry, especially if you’re judging it by its initial nose, which is strongly influenced by its aging. A little aeration immediately transforms the bouquet, revealing nuances of black berries as well as 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 unfold slowly across the palate, forming a beautiful harmony with the acidity, which lends welcome freshness and tension. Compared to the en primeur samples, the tannins have gained in finesse and depth. They have integrated perfectly and complement the structure’s incisive tension well. A Ferrand with character, certainly one of the current team’s finest achievements. In the end, it is finesse that prevails… a key element of this vintage. 2026–2040

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is fruity and fresh, offering elegance, lovely definition, and a certain aromatic purity. It features notes of vibrant blackcurrant, wild strawberry, and, more subtly, juicy raspberry, combined with hints of black plum, incense/graphite, as well as touches of toast, Sichuan pepper, and a subtle hint of spices and tobacco. On the palate, it is fruity, balanced, and beautifully refined, offering lovely finesse of texture, delicacy, good definition, a subtle acidic structure, and very fine tension. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy, vibrant blackcurrant, small black berries, and, to a lesser extent, juicy, fresh blueberries, combined with hints of fleshy strawberry, cherry blossom, cornflower, refined minerality (limestone), toasty notes, tonka bean, as well as subtle hints of spice and a pleasant bitterness. Good length. The tannins are precise and very delicately velvety.