CHÂTEAU FERRIÈRE
2024 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
Claire Lurton Villars' brilliant Margaux has long been one of our 'under the radar' picks en primeur. Its not always the easiest wine to taste young - loaded as it is with dark fruit, charming grip and a serious, line of firm black berries. There's a charry, brooding intensity. And yet there is real charm here too and with patience drinkers will find great joy after at least 6-7 years. Once again in 2024 Claire has made a great Margaux that suggests good value for the commune. Tis is one of the few wines that has not been chaptalised in 2024 - and there is an honest freshness and energy that is very enticing here. It also means this is weighing in at just 12.2% alcohol - but it remains no push-over. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.L&S (Apr 2025)
In Bond
Half-bottles (37.5cl) (wood case of 12)
* 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.
70 Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 Petit Verdot, 10 Merlot, 2 Cabernet Franc: 40% new oak, 40% one-year-old oak, 20% in ovoid vats and amphorae: 12.2% alc: 16 hl/ha: 3.80 pH: Biodynamic since 2018: Harvested from 17 September to 8 October
Half the vineyard is 70 years old, and these vines are responsible for the amazingly dark core of fruit. But what makes this such a noteworthy wine is that this fruit, while inky and brooding, there is terrific freshness here with a superb crunch of acidity. Among the darker tones, there are hints of exoticism, and among the suave fruit notes, there is a raspy note throughout, which keeps your taste buds perky and alive. 17.5+/20 Rating: 17.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2025)
The 2024 Ferrière was cropped at just 16 hl/ha between September 17 and October 7. This was raised in 40% new oak and 20% in ovoid amphorae. Proprietor Clare Lurton-Villars told me that this year, there is more Petit Verdot, which makes up 18% of the blend. I find this much more successful than its stablemate La Gurgue on the nose with blueberry and blackberry aromas. It's quite floral in style, with touches of violet coming through with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip on the entry. This is a gutsy Ferrière, which I mean in a good way, with a deft pepperiness on the finish. It is worth seeking out. Drinking range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2025)
The 2024 Ferrière is a potent, savory wine. Petit Verdot plays an important role in this blend, as it did relatively well in 2024 in terms of yields. Dark blue-toned fruit, dried herbs, white pepper, lavender, sage and spice lend notable complexity throughout. Drinking range: 2032 - 2039 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2025)
Juicy fruit integrity, deep spicy notes, just-ripe fruit with plenty of accompanying fragrance and charm, but the acidity of the vintage puts a little more emphasis on the tannins than ideal. 3.8 pH. Harvest 17 September to 8 October. 40% new oak. 16 hl/ha yield. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2025)
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 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 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. 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. Many properties specify a standard case format, and may make additional charges for six-bottle cases, for example. We offer wood cases of six bottles as standard where these are available without extra charge, but we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. If you want six-bottle cases where a 12 bottle case is offered, please check for the extra case charge. 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
- +£9.50 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 2027. 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.