Château de Ferrand 2021

Château de Ferrand sits in Saint-Hippolyte, on one of the highest points of the Saint-Émilion appellation at around 100 metres, on the Saint-Émilion plateau. The estate farms thirty-two hectares of mostly clay and limestone soils, worked sustainably. That combination shapes the wine: limestone gives freshness and a fine tannic frame, while the clay retains water and slows ripening, lending Merlot its fleshy dark fruit, and the elevation brings a wider day-to-night temperature swing that preserves acidity and aroma. The blend is led by Merlot with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged twelve months in oak barrels, where gentle oxygen exchange through the wood knits the tannins and adds cedar, cocoa and clove; malolactic fermentation softens the acidity into a rounder shape. It is deep ruby, with aromas of ripe plum, cherry and red berries framed by oak spice and tobacco. The palate is structured yet supple, the tannins fine and fresh, with a long, savoury finish that reflects the limestone. Serve at 17 degrees and decant an hour ahead. Suited to lamb, beef and game.