Chateau Ferriere is located in the Margaux region of Bordeaux, France. It is also a winery with a long history dating back to the 18th century and was rated as a third-class winery in the Bordeaux 1855 classification.
In the 18th century, a royal official named Gabriel Ferriere founded a winery and named it Chateau Ferriere after his own surname. For more than 100 years since then, the estate has been managed by the Ferriere family, and it has grown and prospered in their hands, successfully winning the title of a third-class winery. In 1913, Armand Feuillerat, the owner of Chateau Marquis de Terme, acquired Chateau Ferriere, and his daughter Andre Durand subsequently inherited the winery. From 1952, Andre Durand's heirs rented the winery to Alexis Lichine, the then owner of Chateau Lascombes. At this time, most of the grapes produced by Chateau Ferriere were used to make Chateau Lascombes wine, and the winery itself entered a period of slow development.
In 1988, Chateau Ferriere welcomed a new opportunity for development - Jacques Merlaut, the founder of the well-known French wine merchant Taillan Group, bought the winery. In 1992, Chateau Ferriere’s lease agreement with Chateau Lascombes came to an end, and Jacques’ daughter Bernadette Villars-Merlaut released her first vintage. Under the painstaking management of Jacques Merlaut and his descendants, the winery is developing steadily. In addition to Château Ferrier, Jacques Merlaut and his descendants also own Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Chateau La Gurgue and Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal.
In the management of the vineyard, the winery team firmly believes that people are also part of the terroir. They carefully care for each grape vine and go all out to protect the ecological environment in the vineyard. The winery promotes organic and biodynamic farming, which not only maintains the sustainable development of the vineyards, but also maximizes the potential of the terroir, bringing more delicate taste and depth to the wine. It is worth mentioning that the winery obtained the Organic Agriculture (Agriculture Biologique) certification in 2015 and began to strive for biodynamic certification in 2016.
In 2013, the estate was completely renovated by renowned Bordeaux architect Fabien Pedelaborde, and the cellar now features 22 concrete fermentation tanks of varying capacities and adjustable temperature. Wineries will choose different fermentation containers according to the differences in grapes. After fermentation, the wine used to make the grand cru is aged for 18-24 months in French oak barrels, with 40% of the barrels being new. During the first and second years of aging, the wine is placed in two different cellars. During this period, the temperature in both wine cellars was maintained between 14-16°C and the humidity was maintained at around 80%, providing a stable aging environment for the wine. After aging, the winery will use egg white to clarify the wine before bottling.
Chateau Ferriere 2017 is an outstanding wine from the Margaux appellation. This vintage shows explosive aromas of tobacco, mint and red fruits, with a rich and powerful taste. The finish is particularly long, with elegant tannins typical of this vintage. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 40% of which were new, adding complexity and depth. The vineyards cover 24 hectares of deep gravel on a limestone substrate, providing perfect terroir for the grapes. The 2017 growing season was characterized by a hot, dry summer, with timely rainfall helping to maintain physiological uniformity and develop rich aromatic layers. This wine is best enjoyed with grilled lamb chops, beef tenderloin, duck breast or mature cheeses.
