A trio of vintages from Domaine St Prefert

The last remaining stocks of older vintages ripe for uncorking this holiday season, continues apace. And what could be better suited to seasonal sipping than Chateauneuf du Pape?

Domaine Saint Préfert’s heritage in this bastion of the Southern Rhône can be traced back to the 1930s, when it was among the first producers to estate-bottle. Its recent history has been equally pioneering, shaped by one of the region’s modern-day stars, Isabel Ferrando.

Since taking over in 2003, Ferrando’s ‘uncompromising dedication to quality’ (Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth) and bold contemporary outlook has seen her take the estate ‘to the highest level’, according to Jeb Dunnuck. ‘[She is] unquestionably making some of the most profound wines on Earth today,’ says the Rhône authority.

Such is Ferrando’s repute that in 2020 she took the brave decision to bottle all her wines under her own name, rather than that of the domaine. She also finessed the range of wines, which span a notable stylistic diversity. One wine she was always going to keep was the hugely popular ‘Colombis’ bottling. Her only Châteauneuf not to come from the estate’s original holdings in the warmer south of the appellation, this is a 100% Grenache from 80-year-old vines in a small, north-facing, sandy-soiled lieu-dit to the west of the village.

Whole-cluster fermented in coned-shaped wooden tanks and aged in large wooden vats and amphora to preserve freshness, this is archetypal modern Châteauneuf, all elegance and charm rather than structure and power. The 2019 was hailed by Decanter’s Rhône expert Matt Walls as ‘Very fresh and well balanced… a really lovely expression of pure Grenache with fine tannins.’

As Ferrando’s revolution continues, we’re delighted to present a trio of the last three vintages to have been released under the Saint Préfert name. Spanning 2017-2019, all are offered with a sizeable price reduction – and are all coming into their own this Christmas.