Famille Isabel Ferrando Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 750ml

Now the flagship of this estate, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape is 75% Grenache and the rest Cinsault, Mourvedre, and a little Syrah. Sporting a deep ruby/purple hue, it offers a beautiful array of black raspberry and darker cherry fruit as well as lots of graphite, chalky minerality, Provençal garrigue, and spice. Beautiful on the palate as well, this medium to full-bodied effort has a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, rock-solid underlying structure and concentration, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It needs to be forgotten for 2-4 years (although it certainly offers incredible pleasure even today) and will keep for two decades. Tasted twice.

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. (Jeb Dunnuck)

Reminding me of the 2020, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 60% Grenache, 16% each Mourvèdre and Cinsault, and the rest Syrah. Its medium ruby hue is followed by a gorgeous perfume of black raspberries, white pepper, Provençal garrigue, and crushed stone-like minerality. With medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, and ripe, polished, yet building tannins, it's an absolute gem in the vintage that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise over the following decade or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)

The first vintage for this single cuvée, which in the past would have made the two special cuvées of Domaine Saint-Préfert, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape checks in as a blend of 75% Grenache and the rest Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and a splash of Syrah. Its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by a more reticent, full-bodied, powerful wine offering serious black fruits as well as notes of crushed stone, roasted herbs, licorice, and graphite. It’s another stunning wine from this estate that savvy readers will snatch up. It’s going to need 3–5 years of bottle age to show its true potential, but it’s a brilliant wine.

Less exuberant than the F601, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Famille Isabel Ferrando is a blend of 60% Grenache Noir, 16% Mourvèdre, 16% Cinsault and 8% Syrah. It exhales a complex, shy bouquet of dark berries, spices, licorice, violet and dark cherries. Medium-bodied, fleshy and round with a textured mid-palate, it’s enrobing and suave with structured tannins that segue into a long, penetrating and racy finish with lots of vertical energy. It matured for 18 months in a combination of foudres (34%), concrete tank (33%) and terracotta jars (33%). (Yohan Castaing)

The inviting 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is at eye level with the gorgeous 2020. Showcasing ripe forest strawberry, black cherry, licorice, crushed violet and licorice, the 2022 is simply alluring. Ripe and polished tannins provide good structure and lay a solid foundation for extended bottle-aging. This year’s blend is 65% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 12% Mourvèdre and 8% Syrah. Tasted twice with consistent notes. (Nicolas Greinacher)

Supple and mouthfilling, with silky tannins upholding cherry, plum and pretty lavender notes. Grilled garrigue plays out on the finish, which shows sneaky length and elegance. Seductive in feel, with impressive energy, too, for a balanced, harmonious impression. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2040. 900 cases imported.

Isabel Ferrando informed me during my visit that she planned to eliminate the Reserve Auguste Favier and Collection Charles Giraud bottlings, folding those lots and the “tradition” Saint-Prefert Châteauneuf into a single, combined wine under the Famille Isabel Ferrando label. The resulting blend she showed as the 2020 Famille Isabel Ferrando Chateauneuf du Pape is a fine effort, with layers of cola-like spice and hints of garrigue layered against a lush backdrop of cherries and raspberries. Medium to full-bodied and almost creamy in texture, it finishes long, silky and mouthwatering.