La Nerthe Côtes du Rhône Les Cassagnes Rose

Château La Nerthe Côtes du Rhône Villages Les Cassagnes Rose 2018 

We just confirmed our reservation for our visit to Château La Nerthe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape during our trip to the Southern Rhône the end of this month. We're excited to return to the Château that was one of the highlights to our trip to Châteauneuf-du-Pape back in 1998.

Château La Nerthe is one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape which dates back to 1560. The historic Château (right) was built in 1736.

Château La Nerthe was one of the first estates to bottle their own wine starting in 1784. Château La Nerthe was also one of the first estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to export their wine outside of France. When they pioneered the practice of de-stemming 100% of their vines in the 1800’s, Château La Nerthe was the most expensive wine from the Southern Rhône.

The estate boasts an exceptional, sloped terroir with soils of sandy-clay and a layer of large, round, well-worn galet stones which are renowned in the region. All the terroirs of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CDP) exist at the estate and all 13 of the CDP AOC (Appellation Original Controllee) permitted primary varietals are planted. The average vine age is 40+ years old. All of the grapes are handpicked and all of the wines are estate bottled.

The property atrophied and fell into some disrepair before the Richard family in a partnership with David and Foillard negociants purchased the historic La Nerthe in 1986 with a vision and mission to restore it to its earlier eminence. They invested in the property and conducted a complete renovation of the estate and much of the vineyards were replanted. In 1991, Château La Nerthe expanded their holdings with the purchase of 54 acres of vineyards creating one of the largest estates in the Southern Rhône with 222 acres under vine.

Starting with the 2015 vintage, Ralph Garcin was placed in charge of the estate and its winemaking.

A native of Provence, he grew up in a wine family with vineyards. He earned a degree in winemaking and agricultural engineering in Montpellier. He started his career in the Northern Rhône as assistant winemaker and buyer at M.Chapoutier. He spent time exploring new world international winemaking abroad in both Australia and Oregon. Returning to France, he became Technical Director and Head Winemaker for the Southern Rhône operations at the Burgundy-based company Boisset. After five years he joined Paul Jaboulet Ainé as Winemaker and Buyer. From there he joined Château La Nerthe as Managing Director and Winemaker.

In preparation for our visit, we're revisiting several of their labels that we hold in our cellar or, in this case, have picked up their current releases of labels we have not experienced before.

Château La Nerthe Côtes du Rhône Villages Les Cassagnes Rose 2018

We have just this summer started exploring rose wines and were delighted to find this Les Cassagnes Rose label from Château La Nerthe. This is sourced and produced in the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation which is adjacent to Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

This Rose wine is a blend of Châteauneuf-du-Pape varietals with 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 5% Mourvedre, and 5% Carignan. 

The fruits for this label are sourced from Côtes du Rhône Villages, the region and districts on the slopes and foothills above the Southern Rhône Valley beyond Châteauneuf-du-Pape where rosé wine varietals  are produced. 

This Cotes-du-Rhone rosé is crafted from 30+ year old vineyards planted in soils rich with calcareous sandstone and positioned on gently undulating slopes for optimal sun exposure.

The Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC rules for the proportion of the primary, supplemental and accessory grape varieties in the blend for AOC authorized wines are:

• White wines: a minimum of 80% of the main grape varieties.
• Red and rosé wines:
  • The main grape variety (Grenache noir) must make up at least 50%.
  • The supplementary grape varieties Syrah and Mourvèdre together must make up at least 20% of the blend.
  • The main and supplementary grape varieties must together make up at least 80% of the blend.
  • The accessory grape varieties are restricted to a maximum of 20% of the blend.

Winemaker Notes for this wine: "The color is rust orange pale pink fuchsia, very bright. The nose is frank, lively, expressive, on white flowers and citrus fruits (pink grapefruit). The palate is fresh and the gooseberry meets again the grapefruit. A wine of great freshness and easy pleasure!"

This is an easy drinking refreshing wine for the hot days of mid-summer. It shows bright pink fuscia color, medium body, expressive forward flavors of pear and peach are accented by floral and citrus notes and hints of gooseberry and spices on the full flavorful finish. 

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3256518

http://www.chateaulanerthe.fr/

Reignac Bordeaux Supérieur 2005

Reignac Bordeaux Supérieur 2005

A quiet Friday night at home in front of the fire with a movie, we had grilled steak, baked apples and this supple casual sipping red Bordeaux Supérieur wine.

Bordeaux Supérieur is another of those designations that adds to the confusion or complexity of Bordeaux wines and therefore makes them somewhat intimidating to many who are trying to decipher the numerous labels. Its not enough that there are over fifty appellations in the greater Bordeaux region, but there are also regional AOC, designations that may be used throughout the region.

Bordeaux Supérieur is one of seven regional Appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOCs) that may be used throughout the Gironde (the river valley that forms the region). They are Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, a dry white, and Bordeaux Supérieur Blanc, a sweet white, and Crémant de Bordeaux, a sparkling wine. 

The regional appellations together form the largest world-class wine vineyard, making up more than half of the production of the Bordeaux wine region. and representing more than 55% of all Bordeaux wines consumed in the world.

These generally are entry-level Bordeaux wines, and tend to be fruity and easy-to-drink, suitable for early consumption rather than longer term cellaring. The more ambitious reds are usually sold as Bordeaux Supérieur AOC. As I have written often in these pages, in top vintages, 'all boats rise with the tide', and even these lower priced entry level wines can be very good, even exceptional, offering great high QPR (quality price ratio) values. So look for these designations in years of ideal growing conditions resulting in above average wines for great value.

The Bordeaux Supérieur appellation covers the same geographic area as Bordeaux AOC. They are often produced by single parcels of older vines. In all cases, Bordeaux Supérieur wines must be aged for at least twelve months before they can be sold.

Just like most regular Bordeaux, these are blends, with the reds being predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and increasingly Malbec, and occasionally, some Carmenere. Those produced on the north and easterly side of the Gironde River, known as 'Right Bank' wines, tend to be predominantly Merlot accented by Cabernet, while those on the opposite side (westerly south side - "Left Bank") are primarily Cabernet accented by Merlot, and the lesser accent varietals.

Bordeaux Superieur can be found anywhere in Bordeaux, but most regional Bordeaux AOC wines are produced on the Right Bank. and tend to be from the area north of St. Emilon and Pomerol.

As in all the Bordeaux AOC wines, there are strict rules that govern the vineyards and wines in order to carry the designation label. Under the strict guidelines of French appellation law, for a Bordeaux to be classified as Superieur, it must come from a vineyard that is planted to a specific density with 4,500 plants per hectare with a distance of 2.2 meters between rows, compared to 4,000 plants per hectare with a distance of 2.5 meters between rows for regular Bordeaux. This higher density stresses the vines, since it is harder for the plants to survive, resulting in stronger deeper roots, and generally healthier vines. The result of these practices usually creates a superior wine with a richer and more complex flavor.

Reignac is a large 200-acre vineyard that sits on a high plateau near the village of Saint-Loubès. Reignac are known to produce consistent high achieving wines that are superior to the modest appellation (Bordeaux Supérieur) designation. The proprietors Yves and Stephanie Vatelot turned out a superlative effort in this vintage that is cru classé quality. The 2005 may be one of the all-time great Reignacs.

Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate said of this wine, "Despite its humble appellation, this is a very serious wine that is qualitatively up there with some of the better classified growths of the Medoc." He gave it 90 points.

Deep ruby/purple color, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced, black currant and black berry fruits, notes of mocha chocolate, anise, graphite and spice box, moderate concentration and acidity, supple ripe tannin makes for pleasant smooth easy casual drinking.

This 2005 Reignac was 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.

RM 89 points. 
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 90 points.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 88-90 points.
Wine Spectator 90 points.

Previously reviewed - http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/12/reignac-bordeaux-superieur-2005.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=212134

Château Poujeaux Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Moulis en Médoc Grand Vin de Bordeaux 2000

Château Poujeaux Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, AOC Moulis en Médoc, Grand Vin de Bordeaux 2000

Cousin Anna stopped in, traveling enroute to reporting to military duty in California, so we held an impromptu family reunion for the occasion, including sis Dr Pat who came up from Indy for the occasion. Son Ryan pulled from the cellar this Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux, Château Poujeaux, to accompany Linda's homemade lasagna for the family dinner.

Good grief! No wonder folks find 'old world' (ie. French, Italian) wines mystifying. The complexity of labels and branding can be overwhelming, even for the oenophile (there we go again, aka wine geek). This complexity is due to a combination of magnitude (9000 producers with 300000 acres in Bordeaux vs 300 and 25000 in Napa) 600 different grape varietals in Italy, complexity (AOC - 57 appellations in Bordeaux vs 17 in Napa), and history (centuries vs decades), all exacerbated by difference of (foreign) language. This label is an example of history adding to the complexity and mystery of foreign labels.

Many are aware of the famous 1855 classification that categorized French Bordeaux wines into different levels based on reputation, historic consistency of quality of product. Never mind they referred to them as 'Growths' - first growth, second growth, third and so on ... which was their level based on reputation, not age of vines or any such thing.

But there were many producers not included in this classification. So in 2003, the Cru Bourgeois classification was created to recognize some of the châteaux from the Médoc, (the area of the left bank or southwest side of the Gironde River that bisects the Bordeaux growing region), from those that were not included in the 1855 Classification of Crus Classés, or Classed Growths.

Generally, the Cru Bourgeois classification is a level below Cru Classé, but still of respectable, high quality. Some say that there is some overlap in quality between the Classed Growths and the Cru Bourgeois, but the Classed Growths are generally viewed as being the better wines.

The Cru Bourgeois list was initially drawn up by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Agriculture in 1932, selecting 444 estates for the classification. The words Cru Bourgeois were widely used on labels by the châteaux so listed, but the classification was never officially ratified. In 2000, there was a major revision of the classification, dividing it into three tiers. This new classification was finalized in 2003 and reduced the number of châteaux listed to 247. Excluding so many producers created great acrimony and controversy, resulting in legal wrangling such that the 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification was nullified by the French court in 2007, and all use of the term was banned.

The 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification, annulled in 2007, classified 247 properties in three tiers: Exceptionnel (9 properties), Supérieurs (87 properties) and straight Bourgeois (151 properties). Those Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels are the the most widely known and recognized due to their notoriety. with their level commanding a higher pricepoint and being more likely to be exported to foreign markets including the US. This is both cause and effect.

While the new Cru Bourgeois classification was being prepared, six out of nine of the former Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel decided to remain outside the new one-tier classification. Instead, they formed a group named Les Exceptionnels, primarily to collaborate in joint promotion such as common marketing events. Château Poujeaux is a member of this group, along with other better known chateaux, also likely to be found in the US market, such as Château Chasse-Spleen, Château Les Ormes-de-Pez, Château de Pez, Château Potensac, and Château Siran.

The Cru Bourgeois label was reintroduced in 2010, but in a significantly revised form, consisting of only one level, awarded annually as a mark of quality, but to wines rather than to châteaux. The designation was based on an assessment of both production methods and the finished product. Any property in the Médoc was eligible to apply for the list which was updated and published approximately 2 years after the vintage, so the 2008 list was published in 2010, and the 2009 list was published in 2011 and so on. The 2009 list includes 246 wines. 
 
So it is with this one sub-region of Bordeaux, the Cru Bourgeois classification.

Château Poujeaux thus lies in the wine-producing district of Moulis-en-Médoc, a commune (village) in the wine-producing area of Médoc. The commune produces wine with a good reputation which benefits from the appellation of Moulis, which is one of six communal appellations of the Haut-Médoc vineyards.

It is one of the most highly regarded wines within Moulis, alongside Château Chasse-Spleen. As explained above, Château Poujeaux was one of just nine to be placed in the highest category of the 2003 classification of Cru Bourgeois wines, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels. The property was owned by the Theil family until early 2008, when it was bought by Philippe Cuvelier, who is also owner of Clos Fourtet. Jean Thiel is cited on this label.

Château Poujeaux' vineyards cover 52 hectares (130 acres) and produces about 25,000 cases of wine per year. The grape varieties used are the typical classic Bordeaux varietals in 'left bank' proportions, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. As is customary in the region, they also produce a second wine branded under the second label name La Salle de Poujeaux.

Interesting, that while being a rather large producer with broad distribution, they have a modest, one-page website in text only, in French only.

The 2000 vintage of Bordeaux was high quality, highly rated vintage and promises to be long-lived. At seventeen years, this is in its prime drinking window, it could continue to improve further with age and should still have a decade or more of life left at this level. As in the greater Bordeaux, this is a top rated vintage and is one of the better releases from this secondary producer. As in such top vintages, all boats rise with the tide, and as such this is a high QPR wine, more affordable than many higher rated labels from the vintage, but of  close to equivalent quality.

This was bright dark brick red colour with hues of purple, medium bodied with moderately complex concentrated blackberry fruits accented by a layer of leather with hints of truffle, herbs, and cassis, nice approachable acidity and supple round tannins on the finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2575

http://www.chateaupoujeaux.com/

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Walla Walla Valley Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

After going to see Brad Pitt's new (movie) release, "Allied", (okay, but far from blockbuster, love story, war action, intrigue to the end), we settled in at home with Netflix, some wine and a plate of cheese, fruit and nuts. After the recent tasting of the Columbia Valley Syrah this week, I had a taste for another wine from the region. I wanted something of quality and complexity, so I pulled this Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah Red Bordeaux Blend from the Walla Walla Valley in Washington.

I wrote about this producer and label in an earlier blogpost. 

This has the profile of a 'Right Bank' Pomerol (AOC) Bordeaux, with a blend predominantly of Merlot 77%, with Cabernet Franc 22% and Petit Verdot 1%.

For neophytes, 'Right Bank' refers to areas to the north and east of the Gironde River that runs diagonally through the Bordeaux region, while 'Left Bank' refers to those areas to the west and south. While all Bordeaux (AOC - appellation original controlle wines - subscribe to the rules of the appellation governing such things), consist of 'Bordeaux varietals' - Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot, accented by Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, perhaps some Malbec, Left Bank wines are predominantly Merlot, while those from the Right Bank are mainly Cabernet Sauvignon.

The last time I tasted this wine was eighteen months ago when I wrote, "This is the oldest of ten vintages we hold of this wine and is the last bottle from this year. This is a Merlot based Bordeaux blend. At fourteen years its likely at the apex of its tasting window/curve." Well, obviously it wasn't the last bottle, bottle variations aside, it certainly was at its apex as the bright fruits have started to diminish slightly, taking on a sense of overripe, raisin tones, and starting to give way to the non-fruit notes of tea, graphite and cigar box. The spicy tones of the Cabernet Franc are starting to show through.

In a tasting note from the period, I wrote the same thing about the 2004 vintage, "the fruits are starting to subside a bit and give way to non-fruit tones".  All that said, the same profile remains ...

I said above, 'bottle variations aside', but perhaps this bottle represents more the true character of this label, because I've written this about the 2005 vintage, "Definitely needs some time - decant and let breathe. A bit harsh up front with cedar and tar overpowering black currant and black berry fruits - turns to vanilla with creme brulee burnt sugar on the long firm tannin filled finish."

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, bright vibrant flavors (starting to fade) of black berry, cherry and currants with (increasing predominant) tones of tea and cigar box turning to mild tannins and lively acidity on the long, silky, finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=148343

http://www.springvalleyvineyard.com/

 

Atalon Napa Valley Merlot 2003

Atalon Napa Valley Merlot 2003

I pulled this ten year old bottle from the cellar for a grilled steak and pasta dinner at home. Atalon Winery’s label depicts an old Howell Mountain winery building built in the late 1800's. When they initially purchased the property, they named it Keyes Vineyard after the original founder General W.S. Keyes. They still maintain the old original building as a tribute to that era. In 2003, Atalon focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot which they believe embodied the best of what Napa Valley has to offer. They source fruit from the far reaches of Napa Valley and the surrounding mountains and bottle wines designated either Napa Valley or Mountain Estate.

Its not clear how much if any of this is 'Estate' fruit, that being from vineyards owned by the Producer. Strict appellation originale controllee (AOC) rules in Bordeaux only allow the (winery) Chateau to grace labels of Estate bottled wines. I sense the producer is taking liberties with that practice and taking advantage of the lack of such controls, other than the covenant that Napa Valley designated wine be sourced from (at least 75%) Napa Valley fruit.

The producer states Atalon’s 2003 Napa Valley Merlot is blended from four vineyards, from four different appellations. No sense of terroir here. The Winemaker Tom Peffer attributes the Carneros vineyard fruit with flavors of red cherries and herbal characters, while the hotter Oakville district adds pomegranate and soft textured tannins. He says late-picked Howell Mountain grapes offer deep dark cherry flavors, while the Stagecoach Vineyard, located between Atlas Peak and Pritchard Hill supplies minerality and red cherry flavors.

This is our only bottle of this label and the only time I've ever tried it so I have no basis of comparison or what to expect. Medium bodied, slightly opaque dark purple color - its lacks harmonious complexity one would seek from the diverse sources, it presents modest pomegranate, cherry and black cherry fruits with tones of leather, earth and dried herbs accented by hints of anise and mint on a somewhat flabby moderate tannin finish.


RM 87 Points

Blend of 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=111051

http://www.atalon.com/