2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Cadettes Ch La Nerthe

Kamfer, Eucalyptus, kokos, karamel, ristet kaffe, blåbær og brombær - hele paletten. Vin med ufattelig power i flot flot balance med fløjlsblød garvesyre. Vinen er decideret lækker og cremet. En topvin der kan nydes allerede nu, men klart vil udvikle sig positivt de kommende 5 år. 5 store stjerner.

The 2010 (a 100% barrel-aged blend of nearly equal parts Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre) exhibits a dense purple color, great acid, ripe tannin and is clearly a modern day classic meant to age for three decades or more. Notes of cassis, blackberries, camphor, graphite and licorice emerge from this full-bodied, pure, intense, super-layered Chateauneuf du Pape. The tannins are sweet, the acidity is fresh, and the pH is a healthy 3.6. This 2010 should behave somewhat like the brilliant 2001, needing 7-8 years of bottle age, and drinking well over the following 25+ years..

A blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre that is aged in small barrels and wooded tanks, the 2010 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du- Pape Cuvée des Cadettes is a knockout 2010 that will have a long life ahead of it. Showing a deep, opaque color as well as stunning aromas of cassis, licorice, spice-box, lead pencil, and meat juice, this hits the palate with a full-bodied, rich, and structured feel; while there are hints of its modern elevage on the nose, it stays in the background and there is first rate southern Rhône flair. It has bright acidity, fantastic purity of fruit, and ripe, yet firm tannin that emerges on the finish. Up there with the best vintage of this cuvee to date (reminiscent of the '05), this beauty will not hit prime time until a decade after the vintage, and will shine for two decades or more.

Inky purple. Pungent black and blue fruit scents are complicated by intense vanilla and floral accents and pick up spiciness with air. Stains the palate with sappy blueberry, cassis and vanilla flavors that are lifted by juicy acidity. The oak element is strong but the fruit is even more powerful. Shows excellent energy and thrust on the clinging finish, which eventually leaves sweet dark fruit preserve and floral pastille notes behind.

La Nerthe's Cuvée des Cadettes shows a bit of oak on the nose in its hints of vanilla and toasted coconut, but also copious amounts of raspberry fruit. It's full bodied and lush, with the fruit gently cosseted by oak, not at all overwhelmed, and the finish is long and plushly textured. While approachable even now, it should be at its best sometime after 2020.

A lush, modern, fruit-driven style, with ambitious toasty fig, blackberry and plum notes that are nicely layered with black tea, melted licorice snap and mocha. There's also a flash of pastis at the very end. On the exotic side, but well-rendered. Drink now through 2024.