On the nose this wine has Moroccan spices, wet stone, smoke and black fruit like plum and blackberry. On the palate, there are rich blackcurrants and black cherries with dried herbs and garrigue along with notes of spice, kirsch, black licorice and bitter chocolate. This red is dense, with beautiful structure, velvety tannins and good length.

WINE INFORMATION

Château La Nerthe is in contention for being one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estate was first purchased by the Tulle de Villefranche family in 1560. The historic Château was built in 1736. It was one of the first estates to bottle its own wine, starting in 1784 and the first estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to export outside of France.

The climate is Mediterranean with more than 300 sunny days a year and influences from the Mistral wind which protects the vines from diseases and gives freshness. This blend originates from vineyards in Serignan-du-Comtat, north of the town of Orange. The 40-year old vines are planted in different types of soil with calcareous sandstones and very little clay. Some of them are planted directly in the bedrock. The gently undulating slopes at the foothills of the Massif d’Uchaux produce high quality grapes that turn into fleshy and balanced wines.

The grapes are manually harvested immediately when they hit maturity. They are then sorted on tables and lightly crushed in tanks. Gentle extraction of color and tannins results from several daily pump overs. Co-fermentation of the varietals occurs in vats for a long maceration, about 4 weeks. The final blend is aged in concrete tanks for nine months until bottling.

Charcuterie, Chicken/Turkey, Duck, Grilled preparations, Ham, Hearty stew, Lamb, Mushrooms, Pork, Red Meat, Roasted Root Vegetables, Sausage, Slow-smoked Barbeque/BBQ Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Wild Game