From Grottoes to Grandeur: Château de Ferrand, 2016 – 2022
Bordeaux is rich in curious discoveries, although sometimes you have to do more to scratch the surface to find them. Just beneath Château de Ferrand, a grand cru classé château which sits pretty on the edge of the eastern St Emilion plateau, is one of the most unusual. And yet, despite that, also one of the least well-publicised.
The history of Château de Ferrand can be traced back at least as far as the 17th century, when the proprietor was Elie de Bétoulaud (1638 – 1709). A key figure in the estate’s story, Elie will perhaps be remembered more for his building projects than for his viticultural prowess. First, he built the château, in part modelled on the Le Grand Trianon, a sprawling edifice commissioned for Versailles by Louis XIV (1638 – 1715). If you look at images of the two buildings side-by-side, the resemblance of Ferrand – well, the lower central section (visible on the label below), at least – to Le Grand Trianon is undeniable.
Not satisfied with the construction of this palatial residence, Elie then ordered the digging of a grotto, in the wall of the limestone slope beneath the château. Unlike most St Emilion excavations, undertaken to extract stone for building, Elie’s purpose was the construction of a subterranean folly. The result was a network of spacious tunnels and chambers which are unlike anything else in the region; in their heyday they were lavishly decorated and furnished as bedrooms, salons and there was even an orangerie. Whether Elie and his underground employees could persuade citrus trees to bear fruit in the subterranean gloom is a mystery, but an orangerie they had.
Today, Château de Ferrand is much changed. The grotto, no longer so luxuriously appointed, is sadly closed to the public, presumably on grounds of safety. Atop the plateau, meanwhile, the château has fared much better. Currently in the hands of Pauline Bich and Philippe Chandon-Moët, the property has been overhauled and now operates as a luxuriously appointed hotel. Much more luxurious than the subterranean grotto ever was, I imagine.
