CHÂTEAU FERRIÈRE
2015 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Aged 80% in new wood and 20% in concrete eggs. Tasted several times and each time it stood out among its peers - much more expression than most, defined fruit which is spicy and suave, a supple cool fresh finish, a sense of knowing where its going - and where it's from. However at the tasting at the Château, the sample seemed comparatively mute and dense, and Claire Villars though so too, and opened a second, which had 5% less of the new wood component of the blend. The difference was dramatic, and served to prove not only that this is a very good Ferrière indeed, but also just how imperfect this system of tasting wines at this stage really is. Rating: 92-93 L&S (Apr 2016)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2015 Ferrière has a rich, fruit-driven bouquet that offers ample kirsch, fig and cassis aromas but lacks the focus of Boyd-Cantenac or Cantenac-Brown. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, quite sweet and candied and missing Bordeaux typicity toward the finish. Strange showing. I was expecting more. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Rating: 87 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2019)
This has an array of very assertive dark berries and plums with graphite and cedary oak. The palate is more muscular here. More assertive firmness to the tannins. Give it time. Drinking range: 2023 - Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2018)
The 2015 Ferrière is terrific. Black cherry, plum, lavender and spice give the 2015 its super distinctive dark profile. Juicy and generous on the palate, the 2015 has developed into a very nice Margaux that plays on the darker end of the fruit spectrum. The 2015 is dense and powerful, but also impeccably balanced. Drinking range: 2020 - 2040 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2018)
Fully organic from the 2015, Ferrière has made a lovely, well balanced wine this year, with suppler tannins than in previous recent vintages. Aromatic, textured and focused, with good grip and ageing potential. Drinking range: 2022 - 2028 Rating: 92 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2016)
The 2015 Ferriere is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It has a pure and well-defined bouquet with gorgeous red cherry and wild strawberry scents infused with minerals. The palate is well balanced with supple tannin, layers of slightly toasty red berry fruit with admirable depth on the finish. There is a bit of gumption and conviction about this Ferrière, and it should age with confidence once in bottle. Drinking range: 2020 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
A very dark and sweet nose of blackcurrants, with a very pastille-like, slightly one-dimensional intensity to it, although it is laced with a little grilled almond and toasted pip. The palate is fresh, full, gently plump, with an oaky grip, a medium-bodied texture, fresh and rather elegant in style despite the firm structure beneath. A slightly more austere, grained-tannin finish. This seems a little simple and old-school in style, but it has its good points. Rating: 15-16/20 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2016)
Fine expression of cassis Cabernet fruit. Has elegance and depth in a straightforward style. Could be more complex but will mature well. Drinking range: 2021 - 2030 Rating: 90 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2016)
Very dark. Deep and brooding. A bit more severe than most Margaux. A bit chunky and savoury. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 16.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2016)
The 2015 Ferrière is beautiful, precise and nuanced, with fine-grained tannins, expressive aromatics and terrific overall balance. The 2015 is a wine of total finesse and understatement. This is an impressive showing from an under the radar estate in Margaux. Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
Juicy, with a packed core of boysenberry and black currant flavors, backed by light licorice and alder hints. Shows good cut throughout. Rating: 90—93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2016)
A muscular and toned red with slightly tough tannins but the underlying blue fruit and minerality to the wine give it excitement. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2016)
Château Ferrière
Margaux Troisième cru 1855 The Ferrière family owned their eponymous estate from its origins in the 18th Century right up until 1914. During the 20th Century, Château Ferrière's star fell considerably with the vineyard leased to Alexis Lichine and the wine made at Château Lascombes, and Château Ferrière was rarely seen or known outside France. Ferrière was purchased by the Taillan Group (who own, among others, Gruaud-Larose and Chasse-Spleen) in 1988, and the story since then has been of continued improvement. The connection with Château Lascombes was ended and all wines are made at Château Ferrière now. Château Ferrière is the smallest of the Cru Classé estates, with just 8ha of vines dispersed around the centre of Margaux village. 80% are Cabernet Sauvignon, with 15% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spends 18 months in wood (60% new). Both in terms of quality and availability, Château Ferrière is unrecognisable from where it was a few short years ago. Classic, gently assertive Margaux and excellent value for money.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.