Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos de Beauvenir Famille Richard 1998 (White)

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.

Le Clos de Beauvenir 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 white cuvée classique. Generally, it is only made of the Roussanne and Clairette grape varieties. Le Clos de Beauvenir has excellent sandy-clay soil, with marl and many rolled pebbles. This terroir has always produced excellent white wine but it is really since 1987 that the decision was taken to devote an exceptional cuvée to it. Considerable care and attention is paid to it in the cellar, the wine is fermented then aged in oak barrels, always in contact with its fine lees. Ageing lasts from eight to nine months but the bottles will then be stored in the cellar for several years before being marketed. Its round and creamy character is impressive and its finish offers an aromatic, floral expression of citrus and white fruit. Its complexity increases over time and this wine should be enjoyed with fine gastro food.

Consult price estimate for: La Nerthe