Château Ferran 2021

Château Ferran sits in Pessac-Léognan, the northern appellation of the Graves that produces some of Bordeaux's most respected reds. The blend leads with Merlot and fills out with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon, a combination shaped by the region's deep beds of gravel and sand over clay. That gravel drains freely and holds the day's warmth, radiating it back to the vines after dark, which helps the later ripening Cabernet and Petit Verdot reach full maturity. The estate farms sustainably, and the fruit is fermented before twelve months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and adds cedar and a light savoury spice. The 2021 vintage was cooler and later than the run of warm years before it, giving a classically proportioned wine of 14% alcohol rather than an overripe one. It pours deep ruby. The nose carries plum and red currant with tobacco, cocoa and an earthy undertone. The palate is medium to full, the tannins fine grained and the finish firm and savoury. Serve at 17 degrees, decant an hour ahead, and pour with roast beef, lamb or a mature hard cheese.