2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée des Cadettes, Château la Nerthe, Rhône
Critics reviews
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 31/10/2012
This 2010 should behave somewhat like the brilliant 2001, needing 7-8 years of bottle age, and drinking well over the following 25+ years.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate #197 Oct 2011)
One of Chateauneuf du Pape’s classic estates, Chateau La Nerthe’s 225+ acres are all located in the southeastern quadrant of the appellation. A property that can trace its history back to 1560, La Nerthe was also one of the first estate bottlers. It was acquired by the Richard family in 1985, and they immediately turned this once run down estate around. Long-time manager, Alain Dugas, has quietly slipped into retirement, turning the estate over to his assistant, Christian Voeux.
About this WINE
Chateau la Nerthe
Château la Nerthe is a stunning, 500-year-old property becoming ‘one to watch’ in recent years. Working organically since 1998, its 57 parcels on various soils and expositions produce a seamless, complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The care taken in both vineyard and cellar has resulted in seriously impressive wines. This property is, absolutely, a worthy rival to the likes of Château de Beaucastel. Winemaker Rémi Jean is as inspiring as the terroir – his understanding of the multiple plots and attention to detail is impressive.
Château la Nerthe’s remarkable terroir produces beautiful wines, year-in, year-out. Rocky, clay and sandy soils combined with natural springs imbue the wines with wonderful freshness and minerality. Rémi says Grenache gives his red blends “magic”, Mourvèdre brings complexity and Syrah provides structure. The very special top white cuvée, Clos de Beauvenir, comes from a single, walled plot: an old castle garden in front of the historic château.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The most celebrated village of the Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the birthplace of the now indispensable French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée system – imperfect though it may be. Compared to the Northern Rhône, the vineyards here are relatively flat and often feature the iconic galet pebbles – the precise benefits of which are a source of much debate. Minimum alcohol levels required by the AOC are the highest in France, but at 12.5% it is well below the natural generosity of Grenache, which only achieves its full aromatic potential when it is fully ripe and laden with the resultant high sugars. Syrah and Mourvèdre contribute the other defining elements in the blend, adding pepper, savoury spice and structure to the decadent Grenache. There are a further 10 permitted red grape varieties which can be used to adjust the “seasoning”. Of the five white varieties permitted, it is Grenache Noir’s sibling – predictably perhaps – Grenache Blanc, which dominates, though Roussanne shows a great deal of promise when handled well, notably at Château de Beaucastel.
Southern Rhône Blend
The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.
The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.
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Description
Made from equal proportions of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, and aged in new barrique this is the nearest the Rhône come to a Pomerol. The velvety texture coats a most generous fruit-basket. This will need a decade to really sing; the 2005 is not quite as good, and is still very closed!
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012
La Nerthe is one of the few Rhône properties where the grandeur of the wines is perfectly captured by the property itself. Our Fine Wine team love to visit because everything, the elegance of the wines included, makes them think that they are in Bordeaux. Christian Voeux is particularly pleased with the 2010 vintage which, he advises, shares the rigour and precision of the 2005 and the generous fruit character of the 2007. As the 2007 la Nerthe was our best-seller of that particular vintage, these are words that we are happy to hear...
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