2018 Isabel Ferrando Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis...$133.99
At the risk of not being literal enough, tasting Isabel Ferrando's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis is like drinking purple flowers. Deep rose and violet notes are seamlessly joined to purple raspberries in a full-bodied wine that seems almost weightless on the palate. There's terrific inner-mouth perfume, near-ethereal tannins that support the wine's girth via a taut, gossamer structure, and a finish tinged with star anise and black cherries that just won't quit. A tour de force of pure Grenache, it should drink well for a decade, perhaps longer.
I'm not sure it's possible to lavish enough superlatives on the two red bottlings Ferrando has produced from the 2018 vintage. Yes, I said two. In addition to the all-Grenache Colombis, she has also bottled a tiny volume of an all-Cinsault cuvée that blew me away for its exotic perfumes and elegance.
Rated 97/100 The Wine Advocate
Tasted from bottle, the 2018 Châteauneuf du Pape Colombis comes from a single lieu-dit and is 100% Grenache brought up all in demi-muids. I thought it could be the wine of the vintage last year, and it’s certainly not far off, offering a sensational bouquet of Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, spiced meat, and red and black fruits. Reminding me of a slightly toned-down version of the 2007, it’s full-bodied and has a beautifully layered, elegant texture, sweet tannins, and a gorgeous finish. The 2018s do not get much better than this, and this beauty can be drunk any time over the coming 15 years or more.
Rated 97/100 Jeb Dunnuck
This is a beauty, with a seductive display of Turkish coffee, singed alder, steeped plum and warmed anise aromas and flavors that move in unison, backed by a subtle garrigue note through the finish. A late echo of warm earth adds a finishing touch. Best from 2021 through 2037. — JM
Rated 95/100 Wine Spectator
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