A 15ha estate in Martillac, owned by Philippe Lacoste, this is from a blend of 78% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an average vine age of 25 years. This has a really attractive grip that pulses right through the palate. The soils are gravelly but there is a lot of clay and limestone too and you can tell the vines resisted the heat well through the vibrancy of the wine. Aged in 33% new oak, there is a whoosh of vanilla sweetness on the attack, but the wine carries it well and is balanced. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-ferran-pessac-leognan-bordeaux-france-2016-11241#uwrcWsPSkKWqxtzw.99

The 2016 Ferran is medium garnet-purple colored and reveals beautiful red and black cherries, warm plums and mulberries scents with an earthy undercurrent and a waft of charcuterie. Medium-bodied, it has a wonderfully plush palate with bags of earth-laced fruit and a long minerally finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown