Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Saint Préfert 1989

Lot presentation

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Saint Préfert 1989

The wine

In addition to all her red wines, Isabel Ferrando also produces a very pretty white Châteauneuf-du-Pape made from Clairette and Roussanne. The vinification process includes pressing, settling and tank fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The six-month élevage process is conducted in casks, 1/3 of which are vats, 1/3 in single-wine casks, and 1/3 in two-wine casks. Its cellaring potential is somewhere around 10 years. Tastings reveal a pleasant wine with a sparkling bright yellow colour. The expressive nose delivers scents of flowers and white fruit. Pear, apple, citrus, aniseed and acacia aromas all vie with one another to escape the glass. The mouth is just as charming: precise, generous and well-defined. Floral notes dominate, and are sublimated in a long finish that lingers on small spicy touches. The perfect pairing? Brillat-Savarin cheese with truffles.

Isabel Ferrando, a former banker, bought Domaine Saint-Préfert in 2003. The vineyard was planted in 1930 on gravel and pebble soils on the southern side of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Isabel has been producing three cuvées of Châteauneuf-du-Pape red since the beginning of her winemaking career. Her wines reflect the appellation's warm, well-drained and sunny terroir to perfection, and are therefore imbued with candied, chocolatey and empyreumatic notes. Thanks to this determined woman's endeavours, this sustainably-run property is one of the top names in the appellation.