Famille Isabel Ferrando : Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc from Famille Isabel Ferrando

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine reveals a pale yellow hue with golden highlights.

Nose
Complex and airy, the nose opens with delicate floral notes of jasmine, acacia and honeysuckle. It then reveals plush aromas of white and yellow fruits, such as pear and peach, enhanced by touches of fresh citrus, honey and a fine minerality reminiscent of wet stone.

Palate
The attack is both juicy and mouth-watering. Full-bodied and textured, the palate seduces with its smoothness and balance, without any heaviness. The mid-palate, marked by a lovely salinity, is supported by a remarkable natural acidity that carries the wine towards a long, penetrating finish of great finesse.

Food and Wine Pairing

This white wine pairs beautifully with seafood, such as shellfish risotto, sea bream à la provençale or shellfish. It will also enhance poultry in a light sauce, grilled sun-drenched vegetables or matured goat cheeses.

Serving and Ageing

To fully appreciate the complexity of this vintage, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of around 12°C. Gentle aeration in a decanter or serving in large glasses will help release its delicate aromas. Approachable in its youth, this age-worthy wine can also be cellared and will develop beautifully until around 2041.

The freshness and precision of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape white wine

The Estate

Officially founded in 1930 under the name Saint-Préfert, this historic estate in the Rhône Valley was taken over in 2002 by Isabel Ferrando. Today, Famille Isabel Ferrando is jointly run by Isabel and her daughter Guillemette, who joined the venture in 2023. Located in the southern part of the appellation, this independent estate stands out for its female leadership and its deep commitment to biodiversity. Certified biodynamic since 2013, the estate has gained international acclaim thanks to cuvées that combine the heritage of its old vines with a resolutely modern and refined vision.

The Vineyard

The vineyard covers approximately 32 hectares, 24 of which lie within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. The vines dedicated to white wines thrive mainly in the warm and renowned Les Serres district, south of the village. This unique terroir is built on a geological mosaic of rolled pebbles, gravel, sand and a subsoil of blue clay. Entirely hand-farmed and certified organic and biodynamic, the estate fosters rich biodiversity. This meticulous approach allows the vines to draw the freshness needed to balance the natural generosity of the Mediterranean climate.

Winemaking and Ageing

The making of the 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is based on a plot-by-plot approach and a pursuit of purity. After hand-harvesting at optimal ripeness to preserve natural acidity, fermentation takes place in large oak vats and half-barrels. Ageing, which lasts a relatively short six months, takes place in a combination of neutral vessels: large oak vats, terracotta amphorae, half-barrels previously used for two wines, and glass demijohns. This diversity refines the wine's texture while preserving the brightness of the fruit, before bottling at the start of the following year.

Grape Varieties

Clairette, Roussanne.