Château de Ferrand 2024

Fine roasted notes, a hint of coconut over a mix of dark and red berries—blackberry, cherry, plum—herbs; round attack, incredibly crisp fruit, very fine-grained tannins, showing tension, balance, freshness and length, finishing on blood orange. A highly elegant Château de Ferrand that will deliver pleasure quickly. Built for mid-term ageing.

Vibrant colour to the rim, bright purple. Aromas of blackcurrants and strawberries, both dark fruit and lively red fruits. Quite high acidity puts the tangy fruit front and centre - it's a little sharp at first and then changes to quite mineral and chalky. It has bite though and a lingering spiced liquorice, mint, aniseed and clove accent. Feels a little tense on the finish, just tightening up and constricting some of the enjoyment - more from oak I think which will settle. Well built though, this has fruit, acidity, sapped tannins and a long finish. A success in 2024. Certified organic.

75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Appealing fruit with firm but ripe tannins enrobed by the fruit. Fresh with a chalky texture. Saline note on the finish. A little austere but has a sense of place. (JL)

Fresh, crisp, red fruits surrounded by espresso and chocolate create a bright, medium-bodied, energetic wine with a lot of vibrancy, spearmint, and red pit fruits on the palate and in the finish. Fans of de Ferrand should note that 2024 is the first vintage to sport the estate’s new, updated label. Drink from 2027-2038. 90-92 pts

A nose of great precision, like the fine stroke of an ink drawing, with blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf, and succulent lifted notes of pine forest, aromatic herbs, and flowers. The palate reveals red fruit, still a little reserved, delicately laced in silky tannins like a gauze veil. The whole is clean and compact. The oak still needs time to integrate, but the juicy finish suggests a beautiful harmony to come.

With some reduction, Ferrand 2024 needs air to open up. This allows it to emphasise its complexity and reveal chalky and floral nuances. On the palate, the wine impresses with its linear character. It has a certain density and is supported by fine and perfectly integrated tannins. A harmonious wine with a gripping structure.

Grippy tannic frame from the start, this is pared back, confident, careful progression through the palate, limestone austerity a touch of lemongrass and fragrant tomato leaf alongside the vivid red and black cherry fruits, slim and savoury but with finesse. The Bich family continues to impress here. First certified organic vintage.

Dark, intense colour with purple highlights. A highly aromatic nose—fine, pure, fruity and subtle. Delicate from the attack, with a refined mouthfeel, the wine melts across the palate, graceful and fragrant, leading to a delicately sappy finish. A success. Blend: 75% merlot, 25% cabernet franc. Alcohol: 12.9% (no chaptalisation) – pH: 3.4. Yield: 31 hl/ha. This is the first organic vintage, a testament to the energy this estate has devoted to raising quality.