Château La Nerthe : Clos de Beauvenir 2020

The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir is a 60-40 blend of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, matured in a mix of demi-muids (85%) and new barriques (15%). The sample I tasted came across as full-bodied, round and soft, easy to drink for its pear and pineapple fruit, but with no real cut or freshness, just a splash of lime on the finish. As I've adored this cuvée in the past, I've given it the benefit of the doubt by appending a ? to my rating and will follow up with another tasting.

Violets, quince, yellow plums and honeysuckle on the nose. Rounded, seductive, but not overly rich, this is tucked in and restrained on the palate, with perfectly measured acidity and perfectly integrated oak. Great sense of harmony and balance, it shows Burgundian finesse and a long finish. Organically grown on sandy soils in the Clos de Beauvoir near the house, fermented in demi-muid and stainless steel, then aged for seven months in demi-muid, with 15% spending seven months in new barriques. 1,300 bottles made.

So much herbal complexity in the very youthful nose of this remarkable white Chateauneuf. Considerable power, together with oily richness on the powerful palate. Good freshness that keeps this bright and fairly light on its feet. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Lively aromas of acacia, pineapple, melon, ginger and fennel introduce the 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir. Full-bodied and oily-textured, this muscular 2020 white is more powerful than it is elegant. Give it a few more years in bottle and it will add beautiful tertiary characteristics.

An even more Roussanne-heavy blend (there's 40% Grenache Blanc), the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos De Beauvenir Blanc was brought up mostly in demi-muid, with 15% being new. It's just slightly deeper hued than the base cuvée and offers a similar subtle, reserved bouquet of ripe peach, pineapple, white flowers, and honeyed toast. Straight-up gorgeous on the palate, it's medium to full-bodied and has a pure, incredibly layered, elegant mouthfeel, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a great finish. As with the base cuvée, it needs another year in bottle to really shine, but it too should evolve for well over a decade. It's brilliant stuff.