2021 Domaine de Ferrand Côtes du Rhône La Ferrande
WINEMAKER: Philippe Bravay
REGION: Côtes du Rhône, FR
VARIETY: Syrah
VITICULTURE: Organic
"All Syrah, a grape that Philippe is intrigued by and so decided to bottle it separately as a Côtes du Rhône. It's a brilliant wine showing the breadth and generosity of the South with it's full flavours and blackberry/tapenade complexity. It has a silky-rich mouthfeel and a deep resonant finish. It's a seriously wonderful wine for the price!" - Andrew Guard
Although only a few will ever get to enjoy these wines as the domaine is very small (only 5 ½ ha in Châteauneuf du Pâpe and 10 in Côtes du Rhône, which over half is on vines approaching 100 years old) they are well worth the hunt. All the vines are situated in the lieu-dit Chemin Saint Jean, the same Northern holy grail as Charvin, Beaucastel, Marcoux and La Vieille Julienne. Current custodian Philippe Bravay uses organic growing techniques and limits yields severely (his Côtes du Rhône yields less than 2 tonnes to the acre, and the Châteauneuf du Pâpe much less) vinification is traditional: open top fermenters, basket presses, and cement cuves.