Isabel Ferrando - Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022

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"Located in the southern part of the appellation and previously named Domaine de Saint Préfert, this impeccably run estate is owned and managed by Isabel Ferrando, who learned winemaking in Gigondas when she worked at Raspail-Ay. Her first vintage in Châteauneuf du Pape was in 2003, and she produced a bevy of truly brilliant wines from 2003 to 2019 under her Domaine de Saint Préfert label. In 2020, the estate was renamed to Famille Isable Ferrando, and while she produced as many as five cuvées in the past, today the model has moved away from special cuvées, with the focus on a single, classic Châteauneuf du Pape, although she does continue to release a Colombis, F601, and Cuvée Special Vielles Clairettes. Having tasted with Ferrando since early in the 2000s, it has been interesting to see the gradual changes in style at the estate, with the early wines being exuberant and powerful, yet always balanced and elegant. Starting in 2009, you can see a gradual shift in the style of the wines, with Ferrando opting to keep some stems in the fermentations, as well as a subtle shift in the élevage of the wines. I suspect there were subtle changes in harvest dates as well, but her wines have always been true to the region and have utterly classic profiles. The most dramatic change was moving away from the special cuvée model in 2020 with the first release of the Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf du Pape, which includes grapes from the prior classic cuvée, Reserve Auguste Favier, and Collection Charles Giraud. The quality speaks for itself, and this estate has always gone from strength to strength, which I expect to continue."-Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck: 96-100 Points

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape showed brilliantly. Ripe red and black fruits, classic Provençal garrigue, and leather, spicy notes define the aromatics, and it's a layered, balanced, incredibly classy style (I actually find a touch of Clos des Papes-like character in this beauty) that has integrated tannins, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It's going to be a candidate for perfection at maturity and is a thrilling wine in the making.