Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge AOC 2015

A dry red wine from the southern Rhône that, ten years after harvest, holds power and finesse together. The 14.5% vol. carries juicy dark fruit, and the tannic structure comes across as silky rather than broad.

92 hectares across 57 parcels: 60 hectares surround the Château, 32 hectares lie on the Plateau de La Crau. Sand, marl and clay-limestone soils dominate around the estate, strewn with rolled pebbles (galets roulés). Beneath the pebbles of the wind-exposed Crau lies a dense clay layer that gives Grenache ideal conditions; Mourvèdre is planted in the moister southern parcels, where it develops its elegant tannic structure.

Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Grapes are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness, parcel by parcel. A gentle cold maceration precedes spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, with extraction guided by careful pump-overs or pigeage. Destemming has been practised at La Nerthe since the 1800s. The twelve-month ageing continues parcel by parcel, in vessels ranging from barrique to stone vat, before Rémi Jean assembles the blend.

Dense and layered, with plum, fig and dark berries, underscored by Mediterranean herbs, black pepper and fine spice. The tannins are velvety, and the freshness keeps the richness in shape.

Pairs well with braised beef, roast leg of lamb with herbes de Provence, saddle of venison and wild boar goulash, as well as mature hard cheese.

The estate has farmed fully organically since 1998, without synthetic fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides. From 1782, La Nerthe was the first estate in the region to bottle its own wine; the bottle bearing the coat of arms has been in use since 2001. After ten or more years of bottle ageing, the house's wines gain in complexity.