2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée des Cadettes, Château la Nerthe, Rhône
Critics reviews
The 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Cadettes matured for one year in foudre and states 15% alcohol on the label. It displays aromas of very ripe red and black fruits, dried lavender, cardamon, earth and tobacco. Velvety tannins caress the full-bodied palate, nicely balanced by bright acidity. The 2019 Cuvée des Cadettes continues to provide intrigue with a complex finish.
Drink 2025 - 2040
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (June 2023)
55% Mourvèdre, 27% Syrah, 17% Grenache. Certified organic. Aged for 12 months in foudre. Cask sample.
Tasted blind. This shows a blend of restrained fruit in the background, waxy red fruit and then a dollop of ripe pastille black fruit – a nice balance. A rich texture here is carried by lively acidity on the finish. A little introverted but a lovely wine indeed.
Drink 2022 - 2030
Alistair Cooper MW, JancisRobinson.com (November 2020)
La Nerthe's 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes is mostly Mourvèdre (55%), with the rest being Syrah (25%), Grenache (17%) and other permitted varieties (3%). It delivers significantly more intensity, richness and length than the regular cuvée, with bold raspberries and black cherries on the nose, ample weight and concentration on the palate and a lingering finish marked by an intricate weave of silky tannins. It doesn't need much cellaring, but it should easily age for a couple of decades.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (May 2022)
A deep and fragrant nose with notes ranging from floral to earthy via a slew of spices. The generous, fine tannins provide precise contours and a level of elegance that makes it stand out in this heavyweight crowd. The long, plush finish has plenty of spicy complexity. From organically grown grapes.
Drink or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (March 2022)
Full-bodied, this has weight and presence but isn't overly fat or gloopy. Very firm but not austere in structure thanks to the pliant Mourvèdre tannic structure. Long and deep with a dry, savoury finish. This should age with interest. La Nerthe goes from strength to strength. The estate's oldest parcels of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, all grown on galets roulés and sand, partially destemmed, all co-fermented in tronconic vats, then matured for a year in foudres.
Drink 2023 - 2038
Matt Walls, Decanter.com (October 2020)
Slightly deeper hued, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Des Cadettes is a blend of 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, 17% Grenache, and the remainder a mix of varieties. Jammy blackberries, hints of cassis, peppery garrigue, and violets all define the nose. It's pure and flawlessly balanced, with ripe tannins and a fresh yet also concentrated style. It, too, will have 15+ years of longevity.
Drink 2021 - 2037
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (November 2021)
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.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
The 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Cadettes matured for one year in foudre and states 15% alcohol on the label. It displays aromas of very ripe red and black fruits, dried lavender, cardamon, earth and tobacco. Velvety tannins caress the full-bodied palate, nicely balanced by bright acidity. The 2019 Cuvée des Cadettes continues to provide intrigue with a complex finish.
Drink 2025 - 2040
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (June 2023)
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