Isabel Ferrando

Famille Isabel Ferrando est une réalité biodynamique qui compte parmi les plus importants domaines du territoire de Châteauneuf-du-Pape en termes de qualité, aiming to emphasise the Mediterranean essence of the region. The winery is based at the Domaine de Saint-Prefért in the south of the appellation, where Isabel Ferrando officially started growing wine in 2004 with the support of her husband and, in the meantime, her daughter Guillemette. The birth of her daughter in 1997 prompted the producer, who was then working in a managerial position in a bank, to change her life completely, as she had always dreamed of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region as the location for her project. After several years of study at the oenology school in Carpentras and numerous researches, Isabel and her husband finally identified the vineyard of their dreams in 2002. The influence of Henri Bonneau, an emblematic producer of the southern Rhône, was decisive for Isabel.

Isabel Ferrando adheres to the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture and cultivates very old vines planted with bushes in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône appellations. The grape varieties cultivated are the traditional ones: Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Syrah for the black grapes, Clairette and Roussanne for the white grapes. The vines grow on soils rich in blue or red clay, gravel and sand, characterised by the presence of rolling pebbles. The climate is warm and Mediterranean, very sunny and strongly influenced by the Mistral wind that blows through the vineyards. The oenological process involves spontaneous fermentation, often in whole bunches, without any invasive intervention or manipulation. Many different types of containers are then used, such as cement tanks, oak barrels, amphorae, stainless steel tanks and spherical glass containers known as"wineglobe".

For a long time, Isabel Ferrando dedicated herself to the separate vinification of the various cultivated parcels, following the Burgundian model. But in 2020, after 20 years of study and work, the winemaker finally embraced the tradition of the terroir and produced her first label with an assemblage: the Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge. In general, the wines of the domaine are characterised by their structure and power as well as their elegance and harmony and manage to sublimate the typical qualities of the appellation.