Winemaker
Isabel Ferrando
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France
i. Biography
In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, work at Domaine Saint Préfert is built around Grenache, sandy Southern Rhône terroir, and cellar choices that keep extraction, vessel, and time in view. As owner, Isabel Ferrando makes reds and whites aimed at purity, power, elegance, balance, complexity, length, and a clear expression of site. Larger oak barrels, amphora, glass bonbonnes, concrete, and 600-liter used barrels form that vocabulary, not as decoration, but as tools for shaping texture, freshness, and line.
The Climb
Estate work in Châteauneuf-du-Pape rewards discipline as much as instinct. At Domaine St.-Préfert in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France (2002–2020), Isabel Ferrando brought the rigor of a finance professional to the decisions of a proprietress, building a Rhône reputation through precision, resolve, and practical control of detail. The refinement lay in handling old vines, sandy terroirs, and Southern Rhône generosity without excess weight. In her work, power and elegance were not treated as opposites; the task was to keep warmth, depth, freshness, and poise in the same frame. Continuity after Domaine St.-Préfert took a more personal structure through Famille Isabel Ferrando, where she has been proprietress since 2020. The frame remained Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with place, discipline, and elegant continuity carrying forward rather than being recast as a break from origin.
At Work Now
Châteauneuf-du-Pape remains the working ground: Domaine Saint Préfert, owned by Isabel Ferrando, produces elegant Southern Rhône reds and whites connected to the Saint-Préfert line and Famille Isabel Ferrando. Cellar practice keeps tradition close while allowing vessel choice to do specific work. Red wines are made with larger oak barrels and amphora in pursuit of greater purity; white wines use glass bonbonnes for transparency and restraint. Aging takes place in a mix of concrete and 600-liter used barrels for up to 18 months, giving texture, structure, and terroir expression time to come into balance. Grenache is given a precise reading in Cuvée Colombis, a 100% Grenache cuvée primarily from the Colombis lieu-dit with sandy soil. She makes it from a selection of vines over 60 years old; it is noted for elegance and finesse, with cherry and black raspberry fruit, spice hints, and a silky finish. Blending returned to a more traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape logic in 2020, when Isabel Ferrando and Guillemette reunited three red Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvées into one single blended red wine. Different terroirs were used for nuance, complexity, depth, and finesse, placing separate expressions back into a classical whole.
Signature
Signature bottlings include Cuvée Colombis and In 2020.
Awards and Standing
Isabel's honors include Top 100 Wines of 2025: No. 10, Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape St.-Préfert 2022 (2025).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Isabel
Where did Isabel Ferrando work before?
Earlier in their career, Isabel Ferrando worked at Domaine St.-Préfert.
What recognition has Isabel Ferrando received?
Top 100 Wines of 2025: No. 10, Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape St.-Préfert 2022 (2025).
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