Chateau Ferriere 2019 750ml

blackcurrants, violets, bitter chocolate, clay and gravel on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with firm, very fine and integrated tannins. Beautiful texture. Structured, yet with a soft, supple feel. Subtle. 20% in concrete eggs. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 5% petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Try in 2025.

The rich Cabernet Sauvignon of this wine is beautifully in evidence. With its dense tannins as a foil to the fruit, the wine has both power and finesse. Biodynamic farming has added to the purity of the fruit. It is a fine wine, rich in texture and shows potential future aging.

There feels to be a real step change in Ferrière this year, with a greater density of fruit and a richer seam of freshness. They have made a few changes in the vineyard, most notably pulling up Merlot that they felt wasn't working and leaving only the oldest Merlots that date back to the 1950s. We may also be feeling the impact of the clay in the gravel soils that helped hold freshness in this hot summer, as well as a reductive style of working in the cellar, bringing SO2 additions down low. Whatever it is, there is violet edging to the colour, a deliciously sappy, energetic quality to the wine, with bright berry fruits, chocolate shavings and a gentle gunsmoke edge that brings interest and grace. 40% new oak, 20% amphoras and cement eggs, and the rest in one year barrels. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend.