Château La Nerthe : Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024

The 2024 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc from Château La Nerthe is a lovely effort, opening with aromas of white fruits, spices and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, sappy and seamless, it offers an elegantly juicy core of fruit that carries into a delicate, gently oaked finish. Vinified and matured for six months in a combination of large barrels, 20% new oak and used barrels, it is composed of 51% Roussanne, 26% Grenache Blanc, 14% Clairette and 9% Bourboulenc.

A broad, stylish white, filled out with juicy star fruit, melon and baking spices. There’s a glycerol feel to the silky palate, smudged with toasty oak, smoke and honeyed richness. Supple through the dense, long finish, detailed with fennel frond, ginger and flinty mineral notes. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc. Drink now through 2031. 260 cases imported.

Deeply coloured, this is ripe, tropical, rich, opulent, oaky and broad. The oak influence is quite strong and will take time to integrate. It has very large proportions and is certainly one for those looking for a big, ripe, luxurious style of white Châteauneuf with a long finish.

This powerful, full-bodied white Chateauneuf shows a wide spectrum of stone fruit, citrus and wild herb aromas. I love the balance of restrained creaminess from maturation on the lees with the elegant structure and animating freshness, the latter accentuate by a touch of bitterness in the long, quite firm finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Based on 51% Roussanne, 26% Grenache Blanc, 14% Clairette, and 9% Bourboulenc from the la Crau, la Nerthe, and la Rigole lieux-dits, the 2024 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc was aged six months in a mix of demi-muids, barrels, and stainless steel. Medium gold-hued, it offers fabulous purity in its ripe peach, orange blossom, minty herb, and subtle mineral-laced aromatics. It's medium-bodied, with a beautifully textured mouthfeel that has nicely integrated acidity, a balanced, layered profile, and outstanding length. This is well worth a case purchase and will keep for 15-20 years in cold cellars. Drink 2025-2045.