Famille Isabel Ferrando (Domaine Saint-Préfert)

Domaine Saint-Préfert was founded in 1930 by Fernand Serre, a pharmacist from Avignon who had the foresight to bottle his wines at the estate rather than selling to négociants, making him a genuine pioneer in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The domaine was among the first in the Southern Rhône to export to the United States, establishing an early international profile. The Serre family tended the estate through successive decades, building a vineyard holding whose oldest Mourvèdre vines date to the 1920s. When Isabel Ferrando purchased 13.2 hectares from the Serre family in 2002, she inherited both a storied address and a collection of irreplaceable old-vine material that would become the foundation of her ambition.

• Founded 1930 by Fernand Serre, an Avignon pharmacist; pioneered estate-bottling in the appellation
• Among the first Southern Rhône estates to export to the USA
• Original Mourvèdre plantings from the 1920s still producing at time of sale
• Isabel Ferrando acquired 13.2 hectares from the Serre family in 2002

Isabel Ferrando's debut vintage in 2003 announced a transformation: Robert Parker declared 'A star is born,' setting the tone for a decade of critical acclaim that culminated in a 100-point Parker score in 2007. Consulting enologist Philippe Cambie, who joined in 2003 and was himself mentored by the late Henri Bonneau, has been a close collaborator throughout. From the 2020 vintage, Isabel unified all estate releases under the Famille Isabel Ferrando label, retiring the Saint-Préfert name and consolidating the former cuvée hierarchy into a cleaner range. In June 2023, Isabel's daughter Guillemette, aged 26, officially joined as co-manager, and the two co-signed the debut cuvée Philia 2023, marking the estate's transition to its third generation of family stewardship.

• Debut 2003 vintage earned Robert Parker's 'A star is born' accolade; 100-point score awarded in 2007
• Philippe Cambie joined as consulting enologist in 2003; mentored by the late Henri Bonneau
• All wines rebranded Famille Isabel Ferrando from 2020 vintage; 2019 was the final Saint-Préfert release
• Guillemette Ferrando joined June 2023 and co-signed the debut Philia cuvée with her mother

The estate totals 32 hectares, of which 24 hectares are planted within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and a further 8 hectares are classified as Côtes-du-Rhône. The flagship parcels sit south of the village: Les Serres features the classic galets roulés (large rolled pebbles) over a blue clay subsoil and sits in one of the appellation's hottest zones; Colombis is a lieux-dit with sandy soils devoted entirely to Grenache; and Le Cristia contributes rocky terroir. The Sorgues parcels in Côtes-du-Rhône contain 50-year-old vines. Grenache averages more than 70 years across the estate, replanted using selection massale from the best existing blocks to preserve genetic diversity. A new winery was completed in 2022.

• 32 hectares total: 24 ha Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 8 ha Côtes-du-Rhône
• Named parcels include Les Serres (galets roulés, blue clay subsoil), Colombis (sandy soil, 100% Grenache), Le Cristia (rocky), and Sorgues (50-year-old vines, Côtes-du-Rhône)
• Grenache vines average 70-plus years; original 1920s Mourvèdre plantings remain in production
• Replanting carried out via selection massale to preserve old-vine genetic material; new winery completed 2022

The estate achieved biodynamic certification in 2013, building on earlier organic practices and reflecting Isabel Ferrando's commitment to expressing the distinct character of each parcel. Fermentation uses whole clusters throughout the range, and vinification proceeds parcel by parcel to preserve individual terroir signatures before final assemblage decisions are made. Aging is distributed across three vessel types in roughly equal proportions: neutral demi-muids, cement tanks, and amphora, a combination that preserves freshness and texture without adding oak character. Annual production runs between 50,000 and 100,000 bottles. The Colombis cuvée is limited to just 3,000 bottles from its sandy-soil Grenache parcels, while Philia, the new cuvée debuted by Guillemette Ferrando in 2023, is made in 4,500 bottles from 85% Grenache blended with Counoise and Cinsault.

• Certified biodynamic 2013; whole-cluster fermentations used across the range
• Aging in neutral demi-muids, cement tanks, and amphora in roughly equal thirds; no new oak
• Colombis is 100% Grenache from sandy soil, limited to 3,000 bottles per year
• Philia 2023 (debut): 85% Grenache, 5% Counoise, 5% Cinsault; 4,500 bottles, co-signed by Isabel and Guillemette Ferrando

Famille Isabel Ferrando represents a compelling story of reinvention within one of the Rhône's most storied appellations, taking a historic estate and elevating it to international benchmark status within a single generation. The 2007 Robert Parker 100-point score and the 2025 Wine Spectator Top 10 ranking bracket more than two decades of consistent excellence. The estate's wines have been served at Élysée presidential palace state dinners to world leaders from 2023 onwards, and the range reaches buyers in 48 countries. The deliberate choice to age in amphora, cement, and neutral wood rather than new oak places the domaine firmly in the camp of terroir transparency over stylistic intervention, making it a reference point for understanding what Châteauneuf-du-Pape can achieve at its most precise. The arrival of Guillemette Ferrando ensures both institutional memory and forward momentum.

• Robert Parker 100 points in 2007; ranked number 10 on Wine Spectator's Top 10 of 2025
• Wines selected for Élysée state dinners from 2023; exported to 48 countries
• No new oak used; amphora, cement, and neutral demi-muid aging prioritizes terroir expression
• Third generation now active: Guillemette Ferrando co-managing since June 2023