Château Ferrand

The history of Château Ferrand

The history of Château Ferrand began in 1702. Elie de Bétoulaud, a precursor of the Age of Enlightenment, was an original personality who was a lawyer, poet, visionary town planner, collector of curiosities, patron and courtier.

The man was also a fervent admirer of Louis XIV and he intended to pay homage to him with the construction of an extraordinary building overlooking the vineyards of Saint Émilion, with a breathtaking view of the Dordogne valley. The irony of history is that Elie de Bétoulaud never knew Louis XIV. He died of a heart attack while travelling to Paris in a horse-drawn carriage to meet him. As for Louis XIV, he knew the Château Ferrand by reputation, but never visited it.

Having no direct descendants, Elie de Bétoulaud bequeathed the Château de Ferrand to his great-nephews who kept it until 1978. That year, Baron Bich, a visionary industrialist, founder of the eponymous company and inventor of the famous Bic pen, bought Château Ferrand. It is now owned by the Baron's daughter, Pauline, and her husband, Philippe Chandon-Moët.

The estate was taken in hand: the vineyard was restructured after an in-depth study of the soils and an adaptation of the grape varieties to the terroir, the cellars were modernised, the vats multiplied and adapted to allow for parcel-based management. The work bears fruit, because in 2012, Château Ferrand becomes a Grand Cru Classé of Saint Émilion.

The Château Ferrand vineyard

The terroir of Château Ferrand is located on the clay-limestone hillside of Saint Hippolyte, at an altitude of about 100 metres, making it one of the highest vineyards in the Saint Emilion appellation. It takes advantage of its dominance over the Dordogne valley, thanks to its favourable exposure to the sun and the wind. The vines are cradled by the rising air currents which cleanse the vines and the slightly sloping hillsides drain the water by runoff.

The Château Ferrand vineyard is composed of 70% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wines of Château Ferrand

Château Ferrand Grand Cru de Saint Émilion

Château Ferrand Grand Cru de Saint Émilion has an intense garnet colour. Its nose is powerful, dominated by ripe and spicy fruits. The palate is full of ripe red fruit: blueberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. The finish is long, with silky tannins of the highest quality.

Château Ferrand Grand Cru is a wine for laying down that improves with time. It gains in roundness, but still retains its freshness and the elegance of Saint Emilion.

Le Différent de Ferrand

Château Ferrand produces a second wine, Le Différent de Château de Ferrand. It comes from the same terroir and has similar qualities to its elder brother. It is an intense and fruity wine, which should be drunk young to benefit from its wide range of aromas.