Classic Saint-Émilion with a little more muscle than you might expect.
Château de Ferrand Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2019 comes from an historic estate situated on the limestone plateau of Saint-Hippolyte, overlooking the Dordogne Valley. The château has roots stretching back to the 17th century and today produces increasingly impressive, terroir-driven Bordeaux from its elevated clay-limestone vineyards.
The 2019 vintage is a blend of 73% Merlot and 27% Cabernet Franc, with the Merlot providing generosity, plush fruit and a velvety texture while the unusually significant proportion of Cabernet Franc brings freshness, aromatic lift and firm structural backbone.
2019 was an excellent year in Bordeaux. A warm, dry summer included two significant heatwaves, but Ferrand's limestone and clay soils retained sufficient water to protect the vines. Sunny September days and cool nights then allowed the grapes to ripen gradually while retaining freshness. Harvest began on 19 September, with the estate describing the resulting fruit as being of exceptional quality.
The wine was matured in French oak, adding layers of toast, spice and chocolate to the naturally generous dark-fruit character.
The result is a beautifully balanced Saint-Émilion: ripe and concentrated without becoming heavy, with polished tannins, vibrant freshness and enough structure to continue developing beautifully in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep ruby-purple with garnet highlights.
Nose: Ripe plum, blackberry and raspberry lead into violet, subtle herbs and graphite, followed by chocolate, roasted coffee, hazelnut and finely integrated oak.
Palate: Full and concentrated yet impressively fresh. Plush Merlot brings layers of dark plum and ripe berries, while Cabernet Franc provides structure, fine-grained tannins and a mineral, almost chalky freshness. Chocolate, toasted oak and gentle spice emerge as the wine opens.
Finish: Long, refined and persistent, with dark fruit, fine tannins, mineral freshness and lingering chocolate and spice.
Technical Details
Producer: Château de Ferrand
Origin: Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France
Appellation: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Classification: Grand Cru Classé
Vintage: 2019
Blend: 73% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc
Maturation: French Oak
ABV: 14.5%
Bottle Size: 750ml
Closure: Natural Cork
Critics & Accolades
95 Points – James Suckling
94 Points – Andreas Larsson
94 Points – Yves Beck
94 Points – Markus Del Monego
93 Points – Jane Anson
92+ Points – Antonio Galloni
92 Points – James Molesworth
Why It's Worth a Look
2019 is exactly the sort of Bordeaux vintage worth buying: excellent enough to have serious ageing potential, but not so brutally structured that you'll need to leave instructions for your children to eventually open it.
Château de Ferrand has also been steadily building its reputation, and the 2019 demonstrates why. There's plenty of ripe Merlot richness, but that 27% Cabernet Franc prevents things from becoming overly plush, bringing freshness, perfume and structure to the wine.
James Suckling awarded it 95 points, highlighting its depth of fruit and structure and recommending drinking from around 2026 onwards. Guide Hachette similarly suggests a drinking window of roughly 2026–2035.
So, conveniently, we've arrived.
Drink it now with a good decant, or put a few bottles away and allow somebody else's lack of patience to become your competitive advantage.
Delivery within South Africa:
All orders are delivered from our central warehouse located in Montague Gardens, Western Cape. Local orders are usually delivered in 0-2 working days. Orders outside of Cape Town but within SA are generally delivered within 2-5 working days. If you require expedited delivery, we now offer an Express delivery service, which typically takes 1-3 working days, depending on your area.
While we strive for timely deliveries, there are occasional instances where delays may occur. These are rare but can happen due to unforeseen circumstances.
Delivery Rates:
At checkout, you will be presented with delivery options and corresponding rates. These rates are provided directly by our courier partners and are displayed as is. On rare occasions, a courier may generate an incorrect delivery rate due to issues with the address recognition. In such cases, we will arrange for an alternative courier to deliver your order at a similar rate to the original cost.
We believe in offering transparency in our delivery fees and, as such, do not include any delivery costs in our product pricing. We do not profit from delivery fees.
Third-Party Couriers:
For the majority of our orders, we rely on third-party courier services for delivery. Regular notifications will be sent and on the day of delivery the couriers will notify you via sms, call or email . If the courier is unable to reach you, we will get in touch with you to arrange an alternative solution.
Please note, you will be required to sign upon delivery, and the drivers may request a form of identification.
If there is something wrong with your product, we will gladly issue a full refund of 100% of your purchase amount. To process this, please reach out to us at info@mothercityliquor.co.za as soon as possible, and we will guide you through the refund process.
Order Cancellations:
If you need to cancel your order, simply email us at info@mothercityliquor.co.za, and we’ll assist you with the cancellation process. Please note, cancellations will incur a small fee of 10%, which covers the transaction fees we incur for processing each order. If your order has already been shipped, please be aware that the shipping fee is non-refundable.
Consignment Orders:
We do not offer consignment stock or consignment deals.
Returns:
If you find that there is an issue with your product, you are eligible to return it to us. Here’s how you can initiate the return:
- Email us at info@mothercityliquor.co.za to notify us of your intent to return the product. We will then guide you through the process.
- Our returns policy is valid for 7 working days from the date of delivery. Unfortunately, if 7 working days have passed since the delivery of your purchase, we cannot offer a refund or exchange.
- To be eligible for a return, the item must be unused and in the same condition as when you received it. It must also be in its original packaging. A 10% Fee will be charged on returns, unless the product was damaged or incorrectly supplied by Mothercity Liquor.
Return Shipping & Delivery Fees
Please note that original shipping or delivery fees are non-refundable. Where a refund is approved, the refund will apply to the eligible returned product(s) only and will exclude any shipping or delivery charges paid on the original order.
Unless the return is due to an incorrect, damaged, or defective product supplied by Mothercity Liquor, the cost of returning the product(s) to us is the responsibility of the customer. Customers are responsible for arranging and paying for return shipping and for ensuring that the products are securely packaged to prevent damage in transit.
We strongly recommend using a trackable and insured courier service when returning products. Mothercity Liquor cannot be held responsible for returned goods that are lost or damaged while in transit to us.
Where Mothercity Liquor supplied an incorrect, damaged, or defective product, we will arrange or cover the reasonable cost of returning the affected product, subject to the terms of our Returns Policy.
Exceptions to Returns:
Sale or Special Offer Items: Only regular-priced items are eligible for a refund. Unfortunately, items purchased on sale or as part of a special offer cannot be refunded.
Subscription Terms & Conditions:
- By purchasing a Subscription, you agree to recurring automatic payments based on your selected delivery frequency (monthly, every 2 months or every 3 months etc).
- Your subscription will automatically renew and your payment method will be charged on the same calendar day as your original purchase until your subscription is cancelled.
- Minimum Commitment: Subscription pricing includes a discounted rate and therefore requires a minimum commitment of two (2) deliveries. Cancellation requests will only be accepted after your second subscription box has been successfully delivered.
- Cancellation requests must be submitted before your next billing date. If your payment has already been processed, that month's subscription will still be fulfilled and dispatched.
- Subscription payments are non-refundable once they have been successfully processed, except where required by applicable South African consumer protection laws.
- In the event that a product becomes unavailable, Mothercity Liquor reserves the right to substitute it with a product of equal or greater value.
- Customers must be 18 years or older to purchase or receive alcoholic products.
