Château Ferrande

Château Ferrande is located in the heart of the Graves region. A beautiful manor house, rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, was built on an estate whose origins go back much further. The property is remarkably well situated, close to the village and on the road leading from Bordeaux to Toulouse. The presence of the Romans in the commune as early as the 1st century BC suggests that winegrowing was already taking place here at a very early stage. Since the end of the 15th century, a noble house has been built here and occupied by wealthy individuals. According to the archives, the estate gradually evolved and expanded over the following centuries, with a succession of wealthy owners and major wine merchants taking over Ferrande. In the 1960s, Admiral Delnaud, a great lover of wine and horse racing, bought the estate, which was acquired by the Castel family in 1992 after sixteen years of tenant farming. The unique style of the estate’s wines, combined with a constant quest for the highest quality, has enabled Château Ferrande to acquire worldwide renown and to join the very select circle of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux. The vineyards of Château Ferrande lie at the heart of the Graves appellation. The estate’s vines benefit from the very special terroir of this appellation zone. The soil is essentially composed of sand and gravel, with large pebbles on the surface. Highly draining and warm at night, this soil is conducive to optimal ripeness and the production of elegant, stylish wines. The high density of planting means that the grapes have great potential in terms of aroma and finesse, while at the same time being highly concentrated. Château Ferrande wines are made in a resplendent, modern winery. From the most efficient stainless steel vats to a powerful temperature control system and a press that is particularly respectful of the delicacy of the grapes, everything is done to optimise the quality of the grapes produced with such care on this Graves terroir. After careful vinification, the reds are blended and matured for 12 to 14 months in oak barrels. To preserve the finesse of these wines, Château Ferrande is fined with egg white before bottling. Château Ferrande is second nature to Marc Maintenat, the estate’s steward and helmsman. He has spent countless years understanding and taming “this generous yet demanding terroir”. Vintage after vintage, he says he “works to produce wines that resonate with their terroir”.