2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Château La Nerthe, Rhône

2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Château La Nerthe, Rhône

Product: 20151114746
Prices start from £299.00 per case Buying options
2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Château La Nerthe, Rhône

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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6 x 75cl bottle
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Description

La Nerthe has always majored on the fruity side of the Châteauneuf profile. Sometimes, given the venerable vines in situ and the almost perfect cellars, I have hoped for a little more “authenticity” here. Ralph may have previously been making wine for Jaboulet in the North, but this is his most clearly articulated aspiration. One should rejoice in Grenache and garland it in the inevitable complexity offered by the famous palette of varietals, without losing sight of the essential features that elevated the appellation in the first place. The savoury, pleasantly herbal personality of the 2015, sitting perfectly within a dark fruit core, provides a most encouraging expression of this mission statement. Drink 2020-2028.
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.


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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate92/100
There's almost 20% new oak in this 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape, which gives it an overlay of exotic toasted coconut and vanilla aromas and flavors. Beyond that, there's ample weight, hints of cinnamon and clove and cherry fruit that lingers on the silky finish.
Joe Czerwinski - 31/10/2017 Read more

About this WINE

Chateau la Nerthe

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.

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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.

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Southern Rhône Blend

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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