Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Nerthe Cuvée des Cadettes Famille Richard 1969 (Red)

Château La Nerthe is one of the three biggest domaines in the appellation, one of the oldest and one of the most beautiful. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de la Nerthe has been renowned since the 17th century and was often enjoyed in the royal court. Its reputation spread over Europe during this thanks to the domaine exporting their wines to England, Germany, Italy and Spain. Loacted in the south-east of Châteauneuf, the vineyard is stony and has the richest source of the famous “galets roulés” or pudding stones, in the whole appellation. Thee stones absorb heat during the day and give it off during the cool nights, allowing the grapes to reach optimum maturity. Until the late 1970s, the reds from this domaine had an ampler style but today they are more delicate and elegant and develop wonderful aromas of black fruit, smoke and spices. The domaine made the change to organic agriculture and obtained certification in 1998. Grapes are picked by hand and yields are strictly controlled: “a bottle per vine stock” is the motto at Château de la Nerthe, or 25 to 30 hectolitres per hectare. Note that the press juice is discarded and not used to make the cuvée. Intense and concentrated, the wines of La Nerthe have wonderful ageing potential. They also produce a well-balanced second wine, Clos de la Granière.

La Cuvée des Cadettes is the cuvée d'excellence of Château La Nerthe. For this reason, it is produced only in the best vintages, and in limited quantity so as not to harm the Grand Vin, the cuvée classique. Its origin goes back to the 19th century, by Commander Ducos who was then the owner of the castle. Today, this Cuvée des Cadettes is made from three grape varieties: Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre (in equal proportion). The selection of plots which can provide wine for this cuvée occurs throughout the year by tasting the grapes. When the big day comes, the three varieties are harvested at the same time and co-fermented in wooden vats. Vinification is traditional, with temperature control, pumping-over and punching-down for eighteen days. Ageing lasts at least 12 months, in small, new barrels. This is a very concentrated wine thanks to old vines whose yields are naturally lower. With its intense hue, the wine is very dense on the palette and the finish mixes fruity and spicy notes. An exceptional wine, which will showcase the best of itself after ten or fifteen years’ ageing.

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