Unfortunately, the sun was not there that day. I'm even starting to think that I've brought back the rain that we're so used to "up there". I see the entrance to the domain but still no castle on the horizon. You then have to take a small path, climb its slight slope, and there then stands in front of you a magnificent property.
A unique story
It all started in 1702 thanks to Elie De Betoulaud. He is a man of many facets, lawyer, poet, courtier, patron, collector of curiosity but also and above all a great admirer of the King of France at the time, Louis XIV. He therefore decided to found a castle in honor of the Sun King. A little exuberant for the time, but in the end didn't he act as the sovereign knew how to do?
He erected this castle on a high point, more exactly 100m from sea level. From there, the property enjoys a breathtaking view of the Saint-Emilion vineyard. In good weather it is even possible to have a view of the Dordogne valley. Unfortunately that day the clouds and the rain greatly contributed to seeing nothing beyond 100m on the horizon.
The story of this castle reached the ears of Louis XIV. As if to thank Elie De Betoulaud, he then invited him to Versailles to meet him. It was here that the history of this castle changed for the first time, in 1709. On the way to Versailles, our exuberant patron suffered a heart attack in his carriage. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to meet the man he admired so much.
The castle was then bequeathed to his descendants, and having no children, it was his great-nephews who inherited it. And it was not until 1978, 269 years later, that the castle was bought for the no less famous Baron de Bich. Marcel Bich is a wealthy industrialist who is particularly famous for his homonymous company. So the happy owner of shares in a famous brand of sparkling water, he decided to sell them all to acquire a château which he visited a few days earlier.
He is now in charge of Château De Ferrand. He will also declare that he succeeded in "changing water into wine". When he died in 1994, his family logically inherited the property. Today, her daughter Pauline is at the helm with her husband Philippe Chandon-Moët. The grail was obtained in 2012, during the integration of the Saint-Emilion wine classification. A great promotion after so much effort.
An ideal geographical location
The Château De Ferrand estate covers an area of 42ha, of which 32ha are dedicated to vines, all in one piece. The remaining 10ha are made up of woods and near.
You just have to go there to understand how Château De Ferrand enjoys a special geographical location. As mentioned above, the castle is established at an altitude of 100m above sea level. A rare and singular fact given the relief of Saint-Emilion.
Being on such a promontory is not trivial. The benefits for the vines are enormous. Starting with exposure to the winds, which allows optimal ventilation for the plots.
The altitude also allows you to keep a certain freshness. During hot days, the highest plots are slightly less impacted by high temperatures, which helps to keep a little freshness essential in the vegetative cycle. Finally, who says altitude says slope, which has a favorable effect on the evacuation of water during heavy rains. We can speak of natural drainage. Indeed, there must be a balance between sun and water.
As you will have understood, the vineyards of the estate have an ideal exposure.
The grape variety is made up of 70% Merlot, 29% Cabernet-Franc and 1% Cabernet-Sauvignon. Here, as on the rest of the right bank, Merlot is king.
The soil is not left out either with an extraordinary diversity. Located on a clay-limestone plateau, there are 4 different types of soil. A first clay-sandy brown limestone soil with rocks, a second clay-sandy limestone brown soil with rock, a third calcium-brown soil on compact marl, and finally a last clay-sandy brown soil with sandy clay. Very technical at first glance, this allows the chateau to cultivate parcels, and therefore make the most of each vine, in order to produce wines that are both precise and of great finesse. Cultivation is carried out in such a way as to respect nature as much as possible.
We must not forget that wine is above all a gift of nature shaped by man.
A rigorous culture of the vine
The women and men of Château De Ferrand work in harmony with the vine and the ecosystem that composes it.
Here, the culture has also been certified High Environmental Value level (HVE3) since 2018, but also Terra Vitis since 2012.
Note that the castle has been officially in organic conversion since 2021.
A culture redesigned many years ago. For this, several methods are used. A brief overview of the techniques used.
At first there is a control of inter-row weeding, use of plant covers in green manures, with the use of organic fertilizers. There has been a ban on insecticides since 2011, the small bats on the estate have a lot to do with it. They are the ones who eat the small insects harmful to the vine. Herbicides are also no longer used. The less chemical products are added to the vine, the less stressed it is.
It is necessary to rethink the culture to allow the vine a development of the most healthy and serene.
Throughout the vegetative cycle, the vine is monitored to ensure its perfect development.
When the time has come to think about harvesting, each plot is tasted and analyzed so that the grapes are only picked when they are perfectly ripe. Hence the importance of the perfect mastery of its terroir and its vines.
The harvest is carried out in three distinct stages. A first which consists of manual sorting within the vineyard. The second also involves manual sorting upon arrival of the vines. Finally, before being put in vats for its vinification, an optical sorting is carried out. All this makes it possible to be sure that each grape that enters the vinification tank is at optimal maturity.
Work in the cellar
Each plot has its own tank, most of which are made of concrete. Throughout the vinification, the different vats are tasted in order to establish the most favorable moment for placing in barrels.
The aging is done in oak barrels both new and of several wines, for a period of 14 to 18 months. A few amphorae have been received and will be used in future vintages. Finally comes bottling and marketing.
Here, the 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages rest. Indeed, the château keeps each vintage in its cellar for 4 years before marketing in its shop (visit in October 2022, the 2018 vintage has since been put on sale). In this way, the wines that will be sold will have undergone a slight aging in optimal conditions.
Pour terminer cette superbe visite, une très belle verticale des millésimes 2017, 2015, et 2012 (en magnum). Vous pourrez retrouver les commentaires de dégustation dans la Tasting Zone.