2010 Chateauneuf du Pape

Vivid ruby. Intense, heady aromas of candied red fruits, lavender and Asian spices. Rich and broad but energetic, offering sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and an exotic floral pastille nuance. Closes on a lively, spicy note, with excellent clarity, power and persistence. This wine unfolds slowly and positively with aeration, suggesting that patience will be rewarded here.

The 2010 La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits the rare combination of unbridled power and freshness, minerality and abundant aromatics. A well-made, delicious red, with blueberry, boysenberry, black raspberry fruit, some background wood smoke, and the tell-tale Provencal garrigue, pepper and loamy soil notes, it is a wine of finesse, power and richness that should drink nicely for 10 to 15+ years. Readers should realize that neither the luxury cuvee, the white Chateauneuf du Pape, La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir, not the sensational top red cuvee called Cuvee des Cadettes were produced in 2011. The seriousness of La Nerthe is evidenced by the introduction of a second wine in order to preserve the integrity and exquisite quality of their top cuvees. Their new red, the Chateauneuf du Pape Les Granieres, is primarily a blend of nearly 50% Grenache and almost equal portions of Mourvedre and Syrah, with a touch of Cinsault, aged largely in old wood foudres, but with some of the Syrah and Mourvedre components in small barrels. Importer: Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY; tel. (800) 946-3110

Much more dense and chewy, the 2010 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape is all around impressive! Loaded with black currant and black cherry styled fruit, dusty minerality, roasted meats, pepper, and wild herbs, this full-bodied beauty is rich and muscular in the mouth, with edgy acidity, firm tannin, and plenty of length. Still backwards and slightly angular, this needs 3-5 years of bottle age, and will have 12-15 years of total longevity.