Famille Isabel Ferrando : Colombis 2021

A stunning wine that's just beginning to unfurl. Starts off plush in feel, with alluring black raspberry and dark cherry coulis, but muscular tannins hold a firm grip. Gains drive and length from generous white and black pepper and mineral energy, with spice box, cocoa powder, black tea and toasted aniseed details. Will evolve gorgeously with time. Best from 2025 through 2038. 850 cases made, 150 cases imported.

A giant amongst the 2021 Chateauneufs with a remarkable density of black cherry and wild herb aromas for the vintage. A very serious tannin structure and intense licorice character dominate the palate, but it's not a jot too much. The plushness and freshness of the finish is amazing for 2021. A complex cuvee that is based on old vine grenache from three contrasting terroirs. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Aged in a combination of foudre and amphorae, the 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis is made from vines with an average age of 70 years. It shines with lively aromas of rose water, grapefruit, fresh red cherry and raspberry, dried herbs and a splash of mint. Velvety tannins envelop this distinctively elegant, full-bodied red, balanced by bright acidity. It concludes with great tension and freshness on the sapid finish. 5,000 bottles produced.

I also loved the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Colombis, another incredible achievement in this vintage. Wild strawberries, savory flowers, subtle Provençal garrigue, and assorted spices define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, has silky tannins, and a layered, balanced, seamless profile that's already impossible to resist.

A youthful, fruit-driven profile. Beautifully precise Grenache, but you’ll need to wait to perceive the fruit’s evolution. The wine shows a refined texture with powdery tannins and a voluptuous, silky mid-palate.

There are just 4,000 bottles of the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis, but the quality has been maintained, even in this challenging year. It takes a bit of swirling to open up, but once it does, it reveals scents of black cherries, mocha and orange zest on the nose. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied without being heavy, but it is perhaps a bit more velvety in texture than its usual silk.