# Stella Ducit (2024)

- **Producer:** Famille Isabel Ferrando
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Clairette
- **Region:** Rhône, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €25
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blossom, lemon, grapefruit, fennel, peach, apple

## About this wine

Stella Ducit is a pure, luminous expression of Southern Rhône terroir crafted by Famille Isabel Ferrando. Formerly known as Domaine Saint Préfert, the estate rebranded to mark the transition to a mother-daughter partnership between Isabel and Guillemette Ferrando. The name Stella Ducit translates from Latin to 'the star leads,' celebrating the boldness of living by one's free spirit. By releasing this cuvée as a Vin de France, Isabel intentionally bypassed strict regional rules to craft a wine driven entirely by personal instinct. The wine also serves as a deeply personal tribute to Guillemette's late father. The estate champions 'agriculture paysanne' (peasant agriculture), focusing on biodynamic farming, agroforestry, and preserving the natural Provençal landscape.

## Interesting facts

- Stella Ducit translates to 'the star leads,' celebrating the boldness of those who choose to live according to their free spirit.
- By releasing it as a Vin de France, Isabel Ferrando bypassed strict regional rules to craft a wine driven entirely by personal instinct.
- The estate practices 'agriculture paysanne,' incorporating agroforestry, insect corridors, and local eco-built stone cellars.

## Food pairing

This wine's medium-to-medium-plus body, vibrant acidity, and distinct anise/fennel notes make it an exceptional partner for fresh Mediterranean seafood and poultry. The lack of oak preserves a crystalline purity that cuts through the richness of shellfish and goat cheese, while the wine's texturally 'greedy' mid-palate stands up to light herbal sauces.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Stella Ducit is designed to preserve the raw precision and crystalline character of young-vine Clairette. Sourced from organically and biodynamically farmed parcels, the grapes are hand-harvested in small crates to protect the integrity of the berries. After a gentle pressing, a slow fermentation occurs naturally in the cellar using only indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for six months entirely in concrete tanks and neutral containers. There is zero oak influence, ensuring the wine retains its upright, vertical structure and pure fruit expression.