Château La Nerthe : Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019

Chateau la Nerthe's 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape is roughly one-third each Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, with a sprinkling of a few other permitted varieties. Aged in a combination of foudres and new oak barriques, it offers a clean, balanced nose of cedar and vanilla against a backdrop of raspberries and black cherries. Full-bodied, supple and reasonably intense, it finishes long and silky.

Ripe and forward, with raspberry preserve and melted red licorice notes melding with warm fruitcake and black tea accents. Offers nice caressing mouthfeel through the finish, too. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Drink now through 2032. 10,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

Rich, ripe strawberry fruit aromas with touches of cinnamon, meat and black olives. On the palate it is ripe and concentrated, with broad flavours and supple tannins.

A very rich and expansive Chateauneuf with a slew of subtle spicy and underbrush notes. Ample, powdery tannins support all this very well and give the long finish a pleasantly dry profile. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a tidy blend of 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, 17% Grenache and other permitted varieties. It displays aromas of ripe cranberry, forest strawberry, raspberry, dried herbs, licorice and a pinch of menthol along with earthy undertones. On the palate this 2019 is full-bodied, enveloped in velvety tannins and kept in check by lively acidity. The finish is distinctively savory.

Sweet cherries, barbecue smoke, licorice, flowers, plums, cherries and mesquite get together to create the nose. On the palate, the wine is lush, round, fruit filled and silky, there is volume, length and a soft, polished finish. Give it a few years in the cellar and it will be a better wine. Drink from 2023 - 2034

Dark ruby, purple reflections, faint ochre brightening on the rim. Fresh dark cherries, hints of plums, some suede and nougat. Juicy, fresh, sweet fruit, well-integrated, supporting tannins, mineral and persistent, shows length and ageing potential.

Close to an even split of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape has a perfumed, beautifully elegant, and medium-bodied style that carries lots of cherry and fresh plum fruits as well as peppery spice and floral notes. The balance is spot on, as is the purity of fruit. Drink it over the coming 15 years or more.

A powerful nose of spices and ripe dark fruit; juicy and silky on the palate, with tannins extracted almost to perfection. Everything about this wine is outstanding. The estate has clearly reached new heights with this vintage, which so perfectly matches the style it seeks.