Ferriere 2018 (3.0L)

94-95 JS / 91-94 VM / 92 DE

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. - James Suckling

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.- Antonio Galloni 

There are plenty of chewy tannins in evidence here, emphasising the levels of concentration in the fruit. Through the palate I get cassis, blackberry and some hedgerow brambles. The tannins are a little less silky than in other examples this year, yet have real vibrancy to them. This biodynamic property saw yields of 24hl/ha in 2018, double that of its sibling property Durfort Vivens. Owner Gonzague Lurton ascribes the difference to the fact that less rain fell in the north of Margaux in July than in the south, tempering the second wave of mildew that had such a devastating effect on the more southerly stretches of the appellation. 2% Cabernet Franc makes up the blend. - Jane Anson, Decanter