Domaine de Ferrand Ferrand 2021

Readers who love the fresh, elegant style of these cooler vintages will love the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape, a spicy, perfumed, floral, and incredibly charming Châteauneuf Du Pape. Black raspberries, flowers, game, pepper, and garrigue notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a supple, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. This incredibly floral, perfumed, graceful Châteauneuf Du Pape will drink nicely over the coming decade or so.

The 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a sensual wine, bursting from the glass with pristine aromas of rose water, crushed violets, red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, white pepper and a dazzling ferrous note of crushed rocks. It is a layered, full-bodied red with ample concentration and polished tannins. As seen so often from this reliable producer, lively acids balance this wine perfectly, concluding with a long-lasting finish.

Lots of seductive floral and fruit aromas of stewed strawberries, dried lavender,...

Ferrand's uncompromisingly traditional 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape draws on the estate's vineyards in la Bertaude, Cabrières and la Gardiole. The fruit fermented in concrete, then the wine matured in tank (both stainless and concrete are used). An assemblage of 80% Grenache, 8% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, 2% Cinsault and a surprising 5% of Bourboulenc, it offers up attractive scents of violets, leather and cherries on the nose. In the mouth, this full-bodied effort is almost syrupy in texture, supple and expansive, then turns a bit leaner and more tannic on the lengthy finish. It should prove relatively long lived, with up to 15 years of drinkability.