Domaine de Ferrand Chateauneuf du Pape 2016 (750ML)

98 JS / 97 JD / 95 VM / 94 WA

#69 James Suckling Top 100 French Wines of 2018

There’s a beautiful purity of fresh, mixed berries, dark plums, deep spices, as well as a gentle, coal-smoke edge. The palate has an effortless, fleshy, fine-grained texture with long, majestic tannins and a long, black-cherry finish Such purity and depth, pulling a lot of flavor with perfectly balanced acidity. Equal parts of old and young vine parcels here. No wood. The real deal. Drink now or hold. James Suckling

Tasted out of bottle, the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape is brilliant, and certainly one of the finest wines produced from this terrific estate. Loaded with notions of blue fruits, violets, incense, and ground pepper, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. Based largely on old vine Grenache from the northern part of the appellation, brought up all in tank, it tastes like the essence of Provence and is a sensational bottle of wine. It can be drunk today or cellared for two decades. Jeb Dunnuck

Vivid ruby. Ripe, spice-tinged cherry, dark berry preserves, garrigue and candied licorice on the deeply perfumed nose. Broad, sweet and seamless in the mouth, offering impressively concentrated black and blue fruit, lavender pastille and spicecake flavors and a subtle touch of bitter chocolate. Shows superb energy and spicy thrust on the finish, which is framed by slow-building tannins and sharpened by a spine of juicy acidity. This wine's marriage of power to finesse is really impressive.-Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

The full-bodied 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape is a terrific effort from Domaine de Ferrand. Nearly 90% Grenache, with the balance a blend of other permitted varieties, it's concentrated and rich, with hints of allspice, anise and pepper adding nuance to the layers of ripe cherry and apricot fruit. Complex and velvety, this has it all. Joe Czerwinski – The Wine Advocate