2016 Ferraton Père et Fils Calendes Crozes-Hermitage 750 ml

Ferraton Père & Fils makes some of the greatest under-the-radar wines in the Rhône: We know it, the critics know it, and we suspect that when the rest of the US catches on, the days of this small producer qualifying as an insider steal will be over. 

Until then, we’re thrilled to sneak you a share of the 2016 Ferraton Père & Fils Calendes Crozes-Hermitage. A hard-to-find bottle sourced from three of Ferraton’s precious vineyard plots and crafted under the eye of 40X 100-point legend (and owner) Michel Chapoutier, this is the perfect wine for those who want to taste exquisite Northern Rhône terroir… without having to pay Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage prices. 

Smart buyers have long known Crozes-Hermitage, which basically surrounds the world-renowned appellation of Hermitage on three sides, as a citadel of value. You don’t have to get deep into the 2016 Calendes to see why. Bursting with the red-berry richness, the cracked black pepper and scorched earth, and the layers of fruit and spice that mark the best of the Northern Rhône, this bottle is the definition of an overachiever—and after five years in the cellar, it’s savory, silky, and absolutely irresistible. 

We feel fortunate that the critics haven’t already blown the lid off of Ferraton. Vinous called it “an ongoing mystery” that Ferraton “still doesn't get the attention, at least in the United States, that it richly deserves.” Jeb Dunnuck noted, when tasting the “brilliant, incredibly consistent” 2016s, that “the only drawback to these wines is that, by and large, they’re made in tiny quantities.”

The Ferraton family has been growing grapes in the Northern Rhône for decades, but the modern story of Ferraton Père et Fils begins in 1998. That’s when family friend Michel Chapoutier—whom Robert M. Parker Jr. would soon dub a “young genius”—started to lend a hand at Ferraton. Chapoutier assisted with the estate's transition to biodynamic and certified organic farming, and he is now the sole proprietor. It’s little wonder that Ferraton’s quality has taken off. 

The 2016 Calendes, named for the lunar cycles that sit at the heart of Chapoutier’s closely held biodynamic philosophy, is sourced from three areas of Crozes-Hermitage: Beaumont-Monteux in the southeastern portion, Mercurol to the east of Tain l’Hermitage, and Larnage in the north. The mix of distinct terroirs—some glacial alluvial deposits, some pebble and gravel, and some granitic—provides a true picture of the diverse Crozes-Hermitage appellation. 

We love this bottle, which is the kind of wine that gave Crozes-Hermitage its reputation for staggering value, and we're thrilled to share it with you.