1982 Chateau de Ferrand Baron Bich Saint Emilion Grand Cru

1982 Chateau de Ferrand Baron Bich Saint Emilion Grand Cru Chteau de Ferrand is a 42-hectare (104-acre) estate in Saint-milion, on Bordeaux’s so-called Right Bank region (on the right/north bank of the Dordogne river). It gained Saint-milion Grand Cru Class status in 2012, and makes two wines: the grand vin and a second label, Le Diffrent de Chteau de Ferrand. The well-drained, clay-rich soils that underpin the estate’s 32 hectares (79 acres) of vineyard are planted to 75 percent Merlot, 15 percent Cabernet Franc and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is one of the more elevated properties in Saint-milion, and the vines benefit from good ventilation and sun exposure. Ferrand does not use herbicides in the vineyard and is in conversion to fully organic viticulture. When the grapes enter the winery, they are sorted both by hand and through an optical sorting system. Individual plots are kept separate throughout the winemaking process, and are gravity-fed into vats for vinification. The wines are aged for 12-16 months in French oak barrels of which roughly 60 percent are new. The wines are then bottled and held in the cellars to complete the aging process. The chteau was founded in 1702 by Elie de Btoulaud, and was owned by the Btoulaud family until 1978 when it was sold to the Bich family, owners of the Bic corporation. Today, Chteau de Ferrand is owned by Pauline Bich Chandon-Mot and her husband Philippe Chandon-Mot.