At the end of the 17th century, Mister Gabriel Ferriere, a renowned ship-broker, acquires this cru, located in the heart of Margaux vineyards and gives it his family name. Royal brokers from father to son, the Ferriere family works for Louis the XVth in particular and wants to produce a great wine, for their several receptions. Two centuries later, Château Ferriere’s owners were proud to see the property ranked as a third Classified Growth. At the end of the 1980s, after almost 300 years in the Ferriere family, another Bordeaux family, the Merlaut, became owner. Bernadette Merlaut-Villars devoted herself to restoring the Château to its former glory.
After the accidental death of Bernadette Merlaut, her daughter Claire prematurely inherited the property. She was only 25 years old. Proving to be a passionate and avant-garde winegrower, she imposes her own style and steers Château Ferriere towards biodynamic agriculture. In the future, Claire knows she will one day pass on a perfectly healthy vineyard to her daughter Jeanne, the third generation woman owner of Château Ferriere.
At Château Ferriere we go further than the principles of biodynamics. The practice of green manuring also extends to the entire vineyard. The seeds chosen depend on the needs of each plot, and the age of the vines. These seedlings keep the soil cool in the summer and are particularly important for its structure (aeration, limitation of compaction). They also limit their oxidation, and therefore the presence of disease. They welcome the micro and macro fauna of the vineyard, thus multiplying biodiversity, including the microbial life of the soil. They are also a source of biomass when destroyed.
Finally, the introduction of hedges, around and within the plots, recreates plant corridors, being also useful for biodiversity.
