Chateau La Nerthe CDP 2013

Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape 2013 BYOB for Angeli's Italian family dinner outing

Friday night dinner at Angelis Italian, our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria, with Alec and Vivianna, I took from the cellar BYOB this complex big red. 

We tasted this wine when together we visited Château La Nerthe during our Châteauneuf du Pape Wine Experience in 2019. 

I write in more detail about this producer and label in my blogpost of that event. 

Tonight, for starters we had from the Specials Menu, Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese and the Gnocci Gorgonzola. For my entree selection I had the special Pork Loin with Port Wine with Artichokes, Portabella Mushrooms and roasted potatoes (shown), great pairings with our Rhone blend. 

As I wrote in my blogpost about our visit to the Château La Nerthe estate, Château La Nerthe is one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf du Pape dating back to 1560. The historic chateau was built in 1736. Château La Nerthe was one of the first estates to bottle their own wine. 

The owners of La Nerthe are the Richard family in a partnership with negociants David and Foillard took over the property in 1986. They completely renovated the estate and replanted much of the vineyards.  In 1991, Château La Nerthe expanded their holdings with the purchase of 22 hectares of vines, which helped to create one of the largest estates in the Southern Rhone with 90 hectares under vine.

Starting with the 2015 vintage, Ralph Garcin was placed in charge of the estate and its winemaking. Previously Ralph Garcin was working for Jaboulet in Hermitage.

The 90 hectare vineyard of Château La Nerthe has a terroir of rock, sand, clay and loam soils. Much of the vineyards and the chateau are located at the estate southeast of the village, sixty hectares of the vineyards in two large blocks adjacent and in front of the Chateau.

The remaining 30 hectares are behind the chateau and abut the plateau of La Crau (shown right), has the classic Rhone valley rocks and stones, known as galets in the region. 

The vineyards of Château La Nerthe are planted with all 13 types of grapes allowed in the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation.

While the property has plantings of all 13 of the appellation’s permitted varietals, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah dominate the red blend. The estate has one of the highest proportions of white vines in the region and produces a special white cuvée – Clos de Beauvenir – sourced from grapes from the clos directly in front of the château. Chateau La Nerthe produces 3 red Châteauneuf du Pape wines and 2 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc wines. 

 

We tasted the Clos de Beauvenir premium white label together at another dinner outing when we dined together last fall Al Fresco at Suzettes Creperie in nearby Wheaton (IL). 

Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape 2013

This is the flagship label of Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape. The typical blend of Chateau La Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape is 55% Grenache, 17% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 7% Cinsault, 3% Counoise and the remaining 3% is a blend of the other varietals planted in the vineyard.

Close to 15,000 cases are produced each year.

At nine years of age, this is likely at or nearing the apex of its drinkability, the fill level, label, foil and cork were in perfect condition. 

This was a outstanding representation of the 2013 vintage. It showed deep garnet color with purple sprites, medium bodied, rich full complex but well balanced and integrated black cherry, strawberry, red and black fruits, with notes of spice, tobacco, cedar, sandalwood, and balsamic, turning to a smooth polished finish of round fine-grained delicate tannins. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2031809

https://www.chateaulanerthe.com/