2020 Domaine de Ferrand Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 91 points

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  4/7/2024 - depascoe wrote:

  I’m giving it away

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  11/11/2023 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 91 Points

  As I was happily pounding the meat this morning (purely in the cooking preparation sense, of course), my mind turned to what sort of jolly thing I would drink. My mind was saying Burgundy, but my heart and other organs were screaming for something more statuesque; and so I settled on this cheeky little CdP from a saucy maker unknown to me.
  
  This is a wine that really transforms with significant time open, so restrain your initial impetus as you go thrusting at this like a randy cavalier and settle in for the long haul, like Les Grognards of yesteryear.
  
  In between vigorous bouts of self-abuse that I blame on this wine, I find myself unable to decide whether praise for this wine should focus on relative value for money or on it as a true high quality CdP. One thing I can say is that it will inspire plenty of jollity and bayonet charges and this can be no bad thing.
  
  At 15.5% ABV there will be drinkers who find this on the 'hot' side, but they are the kind of pusillanimous stinkers that run at the first whiff of grapeshot. I think there is the fruit weight to hold the alcohol, though it is a close-run thing.
  
  Once this has had a few hours open it moves from fairly obvious but enjoyable ripe Grenache fruit to showing an almost thick texture, with some sandy tannins and quite a lot of pepper and spice and roast meat. I was surprised to see that this has only about 8% Shiraz; it just reminds one that sometimes quite small amounts of other grapes can produce an effect out of proportion to their quantity; much like the splendid Polish lancers at Somosierra.
  
  Of course, it is also possible that this wine has utilised the old, but secret French technique of 'en passant sur les decolletage'. Here one takes pressed Shiraz skins and one rubs them vigorously all over the largest breasted local vendangeuses (best they not be too hirsute) whilst hosing the Grenache must over them. It is a dirty job, but someone has to do it (to quote the famously French band Faith No More). If one wants a more funky effect in the wine this method can be combined with the slightly more challenging (for the vendangeuses, at least) 'Cote Brun', where one rolls the ladies over and ... well, you can guess the rest.
  
  Just in case the texture makes some errant drinkers think this has seen oak, it has not (in the sense of new oak, or even small oak). These drinkers are the types who would also believe implicitly in my discourse above on treatment of the grape must.
  
  Overall, I think I will say that this is a great value CdP, made in a lovely traditional style, that doesn't quite have the complexity or sophistication of the best CdP. However, it is more than just a good budget CdP. And it will get you thinking of those curvaceous vendangeuses and winemaking in the picaresque.

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  9/13/2023 - Tomportwine Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Medium body Cdp lots of plum and berry fruit in an elegant mild tannin frame. Also nice iron and mineral notes. Quite zippy with acidity at this young age. Upon opening quite fruity but day two the iron and mineral came forward to create a nice balanced and richly flavored wine.

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  6/7/2023 - viniferatu Likes this wine:

  Powerful and warm with alcohol, as seems to be almost inevitable with chateauneuf, but there's great balance and poise here, and it's overall on the elegant side for the appellation, it drinks true to its garnacha dominant blend, but it has a rather mean and green herbal side that is surely due to mourvedre, anyway it's lovely stuff, nice kirsch and dried raspberry flavors, tons of delicate herbal notes, superb and classic

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  1/27/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points

  Supple, soft, silky, polished and fresh with a solid sense of purity to all of the sweet, ripe, spicy, vibrant kirsch and red plums on the palate. The wine blends 90% Grenache, 8% Syrah and 2% Mourvedre. Drink from 2022-2033.

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