2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes

Deep ruby. Sexy, spicy aromas of raspberry, smoked meat, incense and vanillin oak. The spicy quality repeats on the palate, which offers sweet red and dark berry preserve flavors and a seamless, velvety texture. Becomes deeper and smokier with air and finishes with very good cut and lingering sweetness.

The brilliant 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes reveals only a touch of oak in its surprisingly soft and evolved personality. A classic blend of 37% Syrah, 32% Grenache and 31% Mourvedre, it offers up copious blueberry and blackberry fruit notes intertwined with hints of graphite, ink, licorice and truffles. With super intensity, wonderful opulence and seamlessly integrated tannin, acid and alcohol, this gorgeous 2009 can be enjoyed now and over the next 15-20 years. (Not yet released) One of Chateauneuf du Pape’s classic estates, Chateau La Nerthe’s 225+ acres are all located in the southeastern quadrant of the appellation. A property that can trace its history back to 1560, La Nerthe was also one of the first estate bottlers. It was acquired by the Richard family in 1985, and they immediately turned this once run down estate around. Long-time manager, Alain Dugas, has quietly slipped into retirement, turning the estate over to his assistant, Christian Voeux. La Nerthe’s two white Chateauneuf du Papes are among the classics of the appellation. Importer: Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY; tel. (800) 946-3110

As with the straight ’09 Châteauneuf, the 2009 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Cadettes delivers screamingly good aromatics as well as a rich, meaty, balanced profile. A vineyard selection of old vines and a blend of 37% Syrah, 32% Grenache, and 31% Mourvèdre that’s all aged in new French oak, it shows only hints of the oak with copious amounts of raspberry, blackberry, graphite, spice, charred earth, licorice, and serious minerality on the nose. Beautifully fruited and more concentrated than the regular cuvee, this full-bodied, structured Châteauneuf-du-Pape has a polish, silky texture, perfect balance, and a brilliant finish. Certainly one of the top wines in the vintage, this beauty should be given a handful of years in the cellar, and then consumed over the following two decades.