The next time you use a Bic pen to write a heartfelt letter, Bordeaux should come to mind.
The family that invented the bestselling ink pen in the world also owns a beautiful estate in St-Émilion that you can visit – and stay in.
In 1977, Baron Marcel Bich – an Italian-born, French industrialist who co-founded the company bearing his name – announced that he would ‘turn water into wine’, by selling shares in a mineral water brand to purchase Château de Ferrand in St-Émilion.
But for many years, the wines from the sprawling 42 hectare estate were rather average, not obtaining major critical acclaim.
Starting earlier this century, however, Château de Ferrand – currently owned by Baron Bich’s daughter Pauline Bich Chandon-Moët and husband Philippe Chandon-Moët – embarked on a programme to renovate the early 18th century manor and improve the wine.
Making improvements
They started by replanting the vines to better match the château’s different soil types, which range from brown sandy-clay limestone and compacted marl, to sandy-clay and calcareous.
Planted on the clay-limestone plateau and hillsides of St-Hippolyte peaking at 100m above sea level, Château de Ferrand has one of the highest vineyards in the appellation.
The estate has 32ha planted with vines – all in a single plot. From their high vantage point, they look down on a curve in the Dordogne valley.
The vines are also on slight slopes, which keeps them well-drained in times of high rainfall. They enjoy ideal exposure to light and warmth, and rising air currents keep the site ventilated and healthy.
Thanks to the replanting programme and other improvements, such as increased planting density to 8,300 vines per hectare, Château de Ferrand was promoted to Grand Cru Classé in the 2012 St-Émilion classification.
To better understand its vineyard parcels, the estate also launched a multi-year, in-depth ampelographic soil study in 2012, which ran until 2022.
But it was not until the 2017 vintage, with the arrival of Gonzague de Lambert as director, that the wine markedly improved.
Before that vintage, the wine too often reflected a heavier style that had been in fashion earlier this century, made from grapes harvested late and reflecting excessive oak extraction during vinification.
Recent vintages however stress fruit purity, ripe – not overripe – fruit and judicious extraction with less new oak for ageing.
De Lambert, who is co-owner of Chateau de Sales in Pomerol, has been leading a talented team that has transformed Château de Ferrand into a hidden gem.
‘We are doing less extraction as compared to prior vintages, less pumping over,’ de Lambert explained to me while tasting the 2023 vintage from barrel earlier this year.
‘Five years ago, we pumped over much more, but now we speak of infusion in the vats rather than active extraction of tannins.’
The team keeps winemaking temperatures on the cooler side to maintain freshness. The excellent 2023 vintage is part of a string of fine vintages starting with the 2017.
Another reason the wines have gained in fruit purity is a commitment to organic viticulture. The 2024 vintage will mark the first year that Château de Ferrand will make certified organic wines, after a three-year transition period.
Château de Ferrand timeline
1702: Estate built by Elie de Bétoulaud
1702-1978: Elie de Bétoulaud bequeathed the estate to his great-grandnephews who then passed it down through the generations until 1978
1978-1994: Estate bought and run by Baron Marcel Bich
2005-today: Pauline Bich Chandon-Moët and husband Philippe Chandon-Moët take over the running of the estate
2012: Promotion to Grand Cru Classé
2017: Gonzague de Lambert becomes winemaking director
2019: Major estate renovations
Beautiful setting
The owners not only committed to making and selling excellent St-Émilion Grand Cru Classé wine but also to creating a sumptuous setting for wine tourism in Bordeaux linked to art, cuisine and high-end lodging.
The owners invested in a substantial renovation in 2019 of the original estate, which had been built by Élie de Bétoulaud, a prominent local lawyer and poet, in the early 18th Century.
Take for example the renovated tasting room, which boasts a mural depicting the estate’s forest and vineyard landscape across the four seasons of the year – all done in ballpoint pen.
It took seven blue coloured Bic Cristal ballpoint pens for artist Alexandre Doucin to decorate the white walls of the room, creating a suitably artistic ambiance.
The renovation includes an Orangery reception room that can hold up to 300 guests at a time. At one end is a revolving tasting room, which allows guests to either taste wines in full view of the room or in privacy at the touch of a button. A very James Bond-esque touch.
Three suites for overnight stays are accessible via the sweeping 17th century stone staircase, adorned by period tapestries – though with much more modern lighting.
Weather permitting, one can explore the estate’s 10ha of woodland and meadows, with a protected park home to deer, boar, migratory birds, hares, and cranes.
There are oak trees on the estate that date back at least two centuries. One of my favourite trees is a 300-year-old Lebanese Cedar, near the rear entrance to the château.
The finer things
The wine tourism profile includes several culinary experiences, with multiple-course dinners prepared by talented chef Marilyn Madray and her team.
These are served on a long wooden table surrounded by nearly 30 Bic pen-inspired sketches, sculptures and paintings from both established and emerging international artists.
The estate offers tasting workshops, such as the art of blending, where participants can taste different grape varieties and make their own blends.
Pauline Chandon-Moët also supports the young artists of the Bordeaux National Opera Academy, and has been hosting concerts for the public at the estate since 2023.
In June this year, for example, Château de Ferrand hosted a classical music concert featuring Louise Jégou, Deborah Salazar & Jan Myslikovjan – young Bordeaux National Opera Academy musicians.
Despite such bells and whistles, Château de Ferrand is a St-Émilion estate with one of the best price-to-quality ratios in the market today.
Re-entering the En Primeur system in 2017 proved important for both its commercial distribution and notoriety
The wines have been attracting increasingly positive critical scores. Released en primeur at just over £20 per bottle, the 2023 is one of the best deals for Grand Cru Classé St-Émilion you’re likely to find.
Key facts:
Area under vines: 32ha
Vineyard: 70% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
2021: ISO 14 001 certification
2021: First organic-conversion vintage for the entire vineyard
2024: First certified organic vintage
Average age of vines: 30 years
Winemaking method: The team sorts the grapes in three steps at harvest time: by hand at the vine, by hand upon arrival, and then optical sorting. The fruit is then transferred to vats. Wines age in fine-grained French oak barrels between 12 to 16 months depending on the vintage.
Château de Ferrand: 2014-2022
The wines are listed in vintage order (excluding the 2021 vintage)
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