Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge AOC 2020

Château La Nerthe is one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Tulle de Villefranche family acquired the property in 1560, the château itself was built from 1736 onward, and by 1782 the estate was the first in the region to bottle its own wines. Since 1985, the Richard family of wine merchants has run the house. The 2020 Rouge is this estate's classic wine: serious, spicy, dark-toned.

The 92 hectares of vineyard are spread across 57 parcels, 60 hectares around the château and 32 hectares on the Plateau de La Crau, where a dense layer of clay lies beneath the rolled pebbles. The grapes grow on clay and limestone, on sand and clay, and on sandstone with large pebbles. The estate is home to one of the appellation's few natural springs, surrounded by centuries-old forests, creating a microclimate of warm days and cool nights.

38 percent Syrah, 35 percent Grenache, 25 percent Mourvèdre and 2 percent other varieties. The grapes are hand-harvested and vinified separately by parcel. A gentle cold maceration is followed by spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts, with extraction controlled through careful pump-overs and pigeage. Destemming has been practised at La Nerthe since the 1800s. Ageing lasts 18 months, 15 percent in new barrels, the rest in older barrels, large oak vats and concrete. 15.0% vol., dry.

The nose is spicy and tobacco-like, marked by iron oxide, with dried red fruits, blackberry, raspberry, wild strawberry, black cherry and cherry stone, liquorice, dried herbs, a touch of mint and violet, plus earth, meat, smoke and undergrowth. Velvety, fine-grained tannins meet a delicate, juicy acidity. A wine of richness and concentration, full of energy and pure blue fruit, balanced and lively.

La Nerthe converted fully to organic farming in 1998. Under the direction of Rémi Jean, all 13 permitted grape varieties of the appellation are cultivated. The estate introduced its own crest-bearing bottle in 2001.