Winemaker Notes

Brilliant ruby-red. Fresh and energetic on the nose, displaying intense red fruit preserve and floral scents and a suggestion of white pepper. Juicy and supple on the palate, offering sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and a refreshingly bitter blood orange nuance. Fine grained tannins build slowly through a long, sappy finish that leaves behind a suave lavender note. Pairs very well with red meat and cheese.

Winery Notes

Isabel Ferrando’s reputation for outstanding wines has grown every vintage since her first release in 2003. She purchased Domaine Saint-Préfert from the Serre family, who was one of the first to estate-bottle in the appellation in the 1930’s; at that point, the domaine was 13.2 hectares, all in the Les Serres lieux-dit, south of the village of Châteauneuf. In 2004, she purchased more land and started making the 100% Grenache cuvée Colombis, primarily from the lieux-dit of Colombis, with sandy soil; this was bottled as Domaine Isabel Ferrando. Ferrando has always farmed organically and starting in 2019, the vines are being managed following biodynamic methods. She has very old vines in her holdings: the Grenache vines average more than 70 years old, and she still has some of the original Mourvèdre that was planted in the 1920’s. Throughout each parcel, all thirteen varieties are co-planted, something that her mentor, Henri Bonneau told her is, “the beginning of the complexity [of her wines.]” Starting with the release of the 2020 vintage, Isabel Ferrando is beginning a new chapter in her story as a winemaker. Both of her properties, Domaine Saint Prefert and Isabel Ferrando will be joined under the name Famille Isabel Ferrando. One reason for the change is that her daughter, Guillemette will join Mme. Ferrando at the winery after she finishes her studies. And the other, after working for 18 years with the Serres vineyard, which surrounds the Saint Prefert winery, and studying its the potential, Ferrando has decided to follow the tradition of blending and will now make a single wine from that site. She came to the conclusion that the blend of the fruit from “Favier” and “Giraud” makes a greater wine than either wine on its own. Some wines remain unchanged, “Colombis”, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, the Vieilles Clairettes, F601, and the Côtes-du-Rhône are still in the line up. Three wines are becoming one and there are some new toys in the winery, including amphora and glass demi-johns. We are very excited to taste the new Famille Isabel Ferrando Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge and Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2020. As Jeb Dunnuck noted after tasting the new wines, “…one thing that remains constant is the incredible quality that continues to emerge from this talented winemaker.”