2018 Château Ferrière

The 2018 Ferrière is a powerful, tightly wound wine. Inky dark fruit, gravel, cured meats, graphite, smoke and lavender all run through the 2018. Readers will have to be especially patient, as the 2018 needs time to unwind. Yields are down from an average of 45 hectoliters per hectare to just 26, which no doubt contributes to the wine's natural intensity. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, in other words, the Cabernet Sauvignon is especially high, a recent trend here because of climate change. This is the first year in which a portion of the wine was aged in cement and amphora (20%), which according to Claire Lurton allows for lower SO2 in aging.

This is a juicy and wonderful wine with blackberry and graphite aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, dense and wild. Rich yet fresh and lively. From biodynamically grown grapes.

The 2018 Ferrière is a dark, virile Margaux. Inky fruit, spice, leather, lavender, licorice, gravel and dark spice add to a feeling of gravitas. Powerful and muscular, the 2018 is going to need a number of years to fully unwind. Yields are down from an average of 45 hectoliters per hectare to just 26, which no doubt contributes to the wine's natural intensity. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, in other words, the Cabernet Sauvignon is especially high. That comes through in the wine's flavor profile, structural feel and huge tannins.