Château La Nerthe

One of the most successfully modern manifestations of the potential of this great village, Cuvée des Cadettes is not made every year, but in 2015 it was felt that the ripe and generous fruit would be well suited to new oak. And so it has proved. Architecturally robust, elegantly decorated, this is a powerhouse that will repay lengthy cellaring. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The grandest of all the properties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the one closest to actually having a castle, La Nerthe is a virtually contiguous vineyard, with 90 hectares of calcareous and sandy soils located just to the east of the village. With each new vintage they enhance their reputation as one of the leading “classically modern” estates in the region.

A rare combination of 60% Roussanne and 40% Clairette results in a rich and weighty wine with notes of hazelnut and melted butter as well as honeysuckle and lavender. The palate is full bodied as one would expect, however there is an acidity present which enlivens the wine giving it energy beyond preconceived expectation.
Nick Stewart, Wine Buying

The Beauvenir vines are located just outside the property in a homogenous plot, which is shared between several different varieties. Roussanne makes up 60% of the blend and Clairette a higher than usual 32%; the final assemblage is seductive indeed, with exotic notes of honeydew melon and pineapple tempered by spice, spring flowers, nougat and almonds. Once again the finish is very carefully drawn.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

Christian Voeux, with decades of experience at Mont Redon, is now really getting into his stride at the la Nerthe, probably the only property in the village which deserves its ‘château’ prefix. He describes 2012 as a Burgundian vintage, its hallmarks he cites as finesse with latent power. Both Cadettes and Beauvenir have been made this year, in itself a telling sign. The low yields have engendered concentration and the growing season has favoured Syrah, which is a larger than usual shareholder in the blends. The putative Nerthe share price is rising all the time, it seems.

One of the great wines of the appellation, the Cuvée des Cadettes is a 1,000-case blend of 37% Syrah, 32% Grenache and 31% Mourvèdre cropped at a very modest yield and aged in a significant percentage of new oak barrels. Evocative, complex aromas give way to a palate of great power and length.

This wine is a show stopper! Bang for bucks, it's also my Bargain of the Vintage (18.5/20) as well as Most Exciting Wine. With fabulously ripe and creamy framboise notes on the nose, a coating of gorgeous silky tannins and a really generous core of ripe plump red fruits, this is scrumptious!!!
(Simon Staples, BBR Fine Wine Sales Director)

Ch. la Nerthe really grabbed me for its firm, polished style which will make excellent drinking from soon after shipment to 2020 . A triumph.
(Tom Cave, BBR Cellar Plan Manager)

From the more modern end of the Châteauneuf du Pape spectrum, the 2007 La Nerthe has an attractive nose of blackberry and spice, a wonderfully complete and balanced palate and particularly well-managed tannins, as so often at La Nerthe, adding an extra dimension of quality.
(Jake Dean, BBR Fine Wine Sales Manager)

Our 2012 Rhône Vintage Recommendation: Favourite Southern Rhône Red
There’s already a huge amount of pleasure in this, with a lovely purity of rich blackcurrant fruit combined with dry spice on the nose and a wonderfully silky texture. However, it’s clear from the impressive structure that there is a lot more to come with time. A bitter-chocolate note on the finish hints at the pleasure to come once the savoury elements fully unfurl and combine with the weight of fruit already present.
Guy Davies, Wine Team

Les Cadettes is the result of rigorous selection in both vineyard and winery, so rigorous indeed that this year its volume is half that of its last manifestation in 2010, consisting of a somewhat modest 500 cases. The blend (39% Syrah, 37% Grenache and 22% Mourvèdre) has been aged in 100% new wood. Almost Bordelais aromatics of cedar, cassis and pencil shavings betray breeding and the palate, also in the manner of top Bordeaux, appears gloriously generous and indulgent in one sense yet finishes with restraint and dignity in another. Carnival should not lose sight of Lent.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

Christian Voeux, with decades of experience at Mont Redon, is now really getting into his stride at the la Nerthe, probably the only property in the village which deserves its ‘château’ prefix. He describes 2012 as a Burgundian vintage, its hallmarks he cites as finesse with latent power. Both Cadettes and Beauvenir have been made this year, in itself a telling sign.. The low yields have engendered concentration and the growing season has favoured Syrah, which is a larger than usual shareholder in the blends. The putative Nerthe share price is rising all the time, it seems.