2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Isabel Ferrando’s 2015s are unsurprisingly fleshy and show deeply concentrated fruit character but they also show the vivacity that her wines have been exhibiting in recent vintages. Ferrando is extremely keen on making wines that “show the classic richness of the region but that don’t overwhelm food,” which isn’t easy in hot vintages like 2015. “The problem is that in the ripe years, especially with a lot of Grenache, there’s such a risk that the wines will take over the table,” she said. A big fan of truffles, she’s especially fond of their affinity for Châteauneuf-du-Papes with a few years of age under their belts. I drank a bottle of Ferrando’s 2009 Charles Giraud in January (not with truffles, sadly for me) and it was a knockout, with vibrant red berry and cherry character and a suave floral overtone. I’m not in a hurry to drink my remaining bottles but I don’t regret draining that one, either.