Famille Isabel Ferrando

Isabel Ferrando, a former banker at Credit Agricole, entered the wine industry by purchasing Domaine Saint Prefert in 2002. The estate was one of the first in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to bottle its own wine in the 1930s under the Serre family. Ferrando launched her first vintage in 2003 and later established a separate label, Domaine Isabel Ferrando, in 2004 to showcase specific parcels like Colombis. During her early years, she received mentorship from the winemaker Henri Bonneau, who influenced her focus on traditional blending and minimal intervention. In 2020, she consolidated all her holdings and previous cuvées under the unified name Famille Isabel Ferrando. Her daughter, Guillemette, joined the operation in 2023, maintaining the estate as a family-run business.

The estate manages approximately 15 hectares of vineyards across diverse terroirs in both the southern and northern sectors of the appellation. The southern parcels, centered in the Les Serres lieu-dit, feature large river stones known as galets roulés over layers of gravel and blue clay. The northern sites, including the Colombis vineyard, are characterized by sandy soils that provide a distinct textural profile to the Grenache grapes. Ferrando implemented organic viticulture from the beginning and later transitioned to biodynamic practices, earning Demeter certification in 2022. Winemaking techniques include whole-cluster fermentation without the use of added yeasts. The wines are aged in neutral vessels including concrete tanks, oak foudres, and clay amphorae to avoid the influence of new wood.

Beginning with the 2020 vintage, Ferrando shifted away from producing individual cuvées like Reserve Auguste Favier and Collection Charles Giraud. She now produces a single flagship red wine that serves as a complete blend of her various vineyard parcels. The estate continues to produce Colombis, a wine made from 100 percent old-vine Grenache that is frequently cited for its concentration and depth. The white wine program includes a Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc and a limited production Vieilles Clairettes matured in glass bonbonnes. Ferrando has earned a reputation for elevating the profile of the southern Rhône, with her wines appearing in global top-ten lists and receiving high scores for their focus on site-specific character and structural balance.