CHÂTEAU FERRIÈRE

2021 3ème Cru Classé Margaux

EN PRIMEUR

The 2021 Ferrière is marked by a historically high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. That yields a Ferrière with notable strictness and energy. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint and sweet spice all take shape in the glass. Pretty floral top notes reappear on the finish, adding lift. I especially admire the vibrancy here. Drinking range: 2031 - 2046 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2022)

* 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.

Vibrant and creamy with bright plum, lavender and wet-soil notes. Medium body. Layers of juicy, fleshy tannins spread across the palate. Lots of brightness. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)

This starts out well with clarity of fruit and plenty of character. A sense of hidden power as the tanning build up, but with extra concentration comes clear austerity, and it will benefit from softening and widening over ageing. 13% press wine. on Ferriere, harvest September 16 until October 4. Historically low yields, after frost and poor fruit set. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)

This starts out well with clarity of fruit and plenty of character. A sense of hidden power as the tanning build up, but with extra concentration comes clear austerity, and it will benefit from softening and widening over ageing. 13% press wine. on Ferriere, harvest September 16 until October 4. Historically low yields, after frost and poor fruit set. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2022)

Incorporating fully 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Ferrière offers up notes of blackberries, licorice and loamy soil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and rather layered, muscular palate built around powdery tannins and lively acids. Still primary and unevolved, this is a promising effort that should continue to improve with élevage. Rating: 90-92+ William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)

The 2021 Ferrière has less Merlot, the 13% coming from a parcel planted in the 1950s from which they make a massal selection. Aged in 40% new oak, 40% one-year-old barrels and 20% amphorae, it has a well-defined, elegant bouquet of pure black fruit laced with pencil lead and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, find depth and body. A Margaux doing a good impression of Pauillac in some way, thanks to the 81% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fine persistence on the finish. Excellent. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2022)

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 on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.