Domaine Isabel Ferrando

Domaine Isabel Ferrando was created by Isabel Ferrando. She was born in Carpentras about 15 kilometres from Châteauneuf du Pape. Before getting involved in wine making she spent ten years working as a banker in Nîmes in the finance department which gave her the opportunity to be in contact with numerous local winemakers from the Rhône Valley. She admired them for their work, but learnt how not to go bankrupt running a Domaine having to deal with their financial situation. After the birth of her daughter Guillemette in 1997, Isabel wanted to find a profession that would bring her closer to nature and away from office stress. In the late 1990s Isabel’s passion for wine grew stronger and she started spending time visiting various estates in the Rhône Valley doing tastings and asking a lot of questions and learning.

In 1999, her husband Germain Giraud happens to be at a meeting with the mayor of Châteuneuf du Pape, also a winemaker and asked him if there was a property for sale in Châteauneuf du Pape. By chance Saint Préfert in the lieu-dit “Le Petit Serres” had just come on the market, but things were not simple with Madame Serre as she was upset with the whole village, plus growers only like to sale parcels to the locals. While Germain was negotiating with her, Isabel went back to studies to complete a two-year course at the Lycée Viticole in Carpentras and Orange while also doing her practical training at Domaine Raspail in Gigondas. It was the only estate willing to give her a chance after knocking on many doors, being a 34 year old woman and not coming from a family of growers it was not simple. In 2002, after nearly two years of tough negotiations, Madame Serre finally declared her readiness to sell the buildings with its 13.4 hectares of vineyard and Isabel’s dream became a reality with Domaine Saint Préfert. 

Isabel's passion for the terroir approach encouraged her to purchase other parcels to produce a Châteauneuf du Pape from different terroirs and style to Saint Préfert. In 2004, she created Domaine Isabel Ferrando and purchased a first parcel in the area named "Colombis" after which she named her new wine, the parcel is planted with old Grenache Noir. Today, after numerous successful vintages, Isabel can be proud of what she has achieved as an outsider, as some in the international wine press refer to her as the “Queen" of Chateauneuf du Pape.

In 2004, Isabel purchased her first parcel to creat Domaine Isabel Ferrando. The parcel is located to the west of the village in the area known as "Colombis", it represents 1.3 hectare planted with 60 year old Grenache Noir vines. The parcel's soil composition is sandy-clay with limestone. The following years, two more parcels were added to produce the wine: “Les Roues” a 1.2 hectare parcel purchased in 2005 and “Cristia” representing 1.1 hectare purchased in 2009. “Les Roues” is near the area of “Les Terres Blanches” located towards the centre of the appellation where the terroir is composed of red clay with limestones and large pebbles. As for the “Cristia” parcel, it is located north-east of the village near the “Rayas” area, it is planted with 70 year old vines on sandy-clay soils. The grapes from this famous parcel are used to produce both the "Colombis" and the Premium wine of Domaine Saint Préfert "Collection Charles Giraud".

In 2009, Isabel started the organic conversion of the estate's parcels. This decision was not taken by fashion but by conviction of the potential to increase the quality and purity in the expression of Châteauneuf du Pape's terroirs. The estate was certified Organic in 2012.

The year 2009 was a turning point for Isabel. A new cellar was built at Domaine Saint Préfert/Isabel Ferrando to increase the storage space and to further improve the wine making conditions to enable each parcel to be treated individually. She also started the estate’s conversion to organic farming. Isabel likes to try new things and evolve in winemaking and 2009 also marked a change in her approach as a winemaker. Normally Isabel would destem the grapes before pressing, but this year she decided to use whole bunches, seeking wines with more structure, freshness and precision. The wine "Colombis" is fermented in a conical oak vat and is aged in 600 litres oak barrels. Since there is no new oak used in the wine making process, the wine is able to express its complex fruity, spicy aromas and flavours with just hints oak in its youth which will dissipate with age.

The town of Châteauneuf is on a hillside with the surrounding vineyards set on a rolling landscape and a large plateau that starts west of the lieu-dit “Mont-Redon” (altitude 119m), going eastward to its highest point in Pied Long (altitude 128m) and finishing southward in the lieu-dit “La Crau” (altitude 110m). The terroir of Châteauneuf du pape was mainly structured during the geological Tertiary and early Quaternary periods. To generalize, one can say there is limestone soil in the western part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape; sand and clay soil covered with large stones on the plateaus; mixed sand, red and grey clay and limestone in the northern part of the appellation; less stony soil alternating with marl in the east and shallow sand and clay soil on a well-drained layer of gravel in the south. The large pebbles carried down the Alps by the Rhône River over time contribute to the quality of the vines and grapes by storing heat during the day and releasing it at night.

There are 13 red and white grape varieties permitted in the appellation: Grenache Noir/Blanc, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Clairette, vaccarèse, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Counoise, Muscardin, Picpoul, Picardan and Terret noir. Grenache Noir, the main grape variety, is perfect for the region's meager dry soils and Mediterranean climate with hot summers (34-38°c) and strong Mistral winds which keep the vines dry and protected from diseases. The Grenache Noir contributes warmth and strength and typically displays a wide spectrum of flavours while the Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre achieve balance, structure and colour in the blend. The aromatic whites which only represent 6% of the appellation are medium to full-bodied and well-balanced with a crisp freshness.

Climate 
The region benefits from an exceptional Mediterranean climate. Châteauneuf is the driest area in the Côtes du Rhône with around 2,800 hours of sunshine every year. The heat stored by the rocks during the day and released at night enables the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. Summers, which are seeing an increase in subtropical anticyclones, are warm and dry with the occasional violent stormy period. The winters are mild with frequent precipitations but snow is rare. Another important element is the Mistral which is a strong wind from the north that blow through the valley for nearly half the year. Its advantage is that it keeps the grapes dry and healthy especially after a rainy period, but there is a saying that if it remains for long period of time it can drive a man crazy.