Château Nénin 2018

Interesting, complex aromatics; full attack; elegant development, dense tannins with polish and freshness, great length; thoroughly delightful.

The 2018 Nenin is a blend of 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc, weighing in at 14.6% alcohol. Deep purple-black in colour, the nose explodes with bombastic notions of baked black plums, stewed cherries and boysenberries, with suggestions of liquorice, eucalyptus, clove oil and hoisin. The medium- to full-bodied palate has a lovely line of freshness lifting the ripe, rich, dark fruit layers, framed by plush tannins, finishing with lingering exotic spice notes.

Ripe, and even a bit showy (atypical for the vintage), with plum, blackberry and blueberry notes bursting forth, backed by liquorice and fruitcake accents. Starts to show its spine through the finish, with a tug of warm stone and tobacco adding contrast and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035. 2,500 cases made.

Clear pencil lead and slate gives a sense of restraint and balance to what are fully ripe fruits. There are figs, blackberries, liquorice and black chocolate; a ton of interest and depth, and full, chewy tannins through the close of play. It maintains a Left Bank feel that is so typical in this Pomerol, and is hugely successful. Tasted twice and both times I got the same character of crayon and concentration. 3.63pH.

Elegant, complex nose with dark and blue fruit, as well as spicy and earthy undertones. Sandalwood and cedar with dark chocolate, too. Full body with firm, ultra fine tannins. Structured, layered and flavorful on the palate. It’s very polished with a lovely texture and a long finish. Pure and luscious. Merlot with 37% cabernet franc. Best ever. Try after 2024, but already very beautiful.

63% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc; 45% new oak. pH 3.64. Barrel sample. Black core with purple rim. As on the Fugue de Nénin, that exotic spice like nutmeg on the nose, but floral too like peony or wild roses. Highly perfumed. On the palate, lots of spice – cinnamon too – and here there's a really supple and smooth dark-chocolate texture. Very distinctively aromatic. Dark fruit and dark chocolate on the palate and a nice freshness to balance, more restrained on the attractively dry finish with the freshness of the Cabernet Franc. (JH)

The 2018 Nénin has retained its outgoing, quite floral bouquet of red and black fruit infused with violet and touches of peony. A touch of truffle and crushed rock emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a strict and structured opening. Very linear, very correct in style, this is a serious Nénin. A touch of graphite lends it a Left Bank–like personality on the finish. Classy, but give it 2–3 years in bottle.

Flowers, plum, wet earth, smoke and cocoa open the wine. On the palate, the wine has firmed up since it was in barrel. The wine is concentrated, full-bodied, ripe, deep, fresh and energetic, with the structure to age quite well. The finish fills you up with sweet, ripe fruits and chocolate. It will require some ageing to fill out and soften, so give it at least 5-7 years in the cellar. The wine is made from 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% ABV.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening at the rim. Dark berry confit, fine plum, a hint of fine oak and orange zest. On the palate, a powerful sweet core, some nougat, ripe sweet cherry, mineral and taut, carried by fresh acidity, good length, savoury finish, definitely a wine that will develop and improve further with ageing.

I think the 2018 Château Nenin might check in behind the magical 2019, but it's certainly in the same league as the 2016. Based roughly on 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, its deep purple colour is followed by a beautiful nose of ripe black cherries, blackcurrant, chocolate, violets, and spring flowers. With lovely freshness, medium to full-bodied richness, seamless tannins, and a great finish, this gorgeous Pomerol is going to benefit from 4–5 years of bottle age and evolve for two decades.

63% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc. Harvest from 13 September to 10 October. Dense purple. Complex bouquet of wild cherries, dried rosemary and elderberry jelly, with light milk-chocolate notes, Burley tobacco and summer truffle in the background. Plush on the palate with cocoa-like tannins, perfectly supportive raciness, very linear, with impressive depth. A focused, long finish with Morello cherries and cloves. Compared with the en primeur tastings, it’s up by one point.

Kunz Fassprobe 19: (37% Cabernet Franc, 63% Merlot, 14.5% vol. alcohol) Mineral, delicately bitter, spicy, peppery bouquet, blackberry jelly, mulberries, grenadine, graphite, fragrant wood. Dense, creamy, fruity palate with opulent, sweet fruit, velvety structure, powerful, sweet aromatics, plenty of good tannin, long, aromatic finish.

(37% Cabernet Franc, 63% Merlot, 14.5% abv) Mineral, delicately bitter, spicy, peppery bouquet, blackberry jelly, mulberries, grenadine, graphite, fragrant wood. Dense, creamy, fruity palate with opulent, sweet fruit, a velvety structure, powerful sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannin, long, aromatic finish. 18/20 2025 - 2045

Great balance, velvety texture to the tannins, generous layers of blackberry, plum and raspberry fruit, with chocolate shavings, pencil lead and grilled cedar oak. Plenty of appellation signature, just a flash of heat on the finish, which is rare with Nenin, but it is balanced out by graphite and liquorice. Barely puts a foot wrong and is a delicious wine. The first year to have lowered SO2 during winemaking to increase emphasis on purity of fruit. pH 3.64, 33 hl/h yield, 45% new oak.

The 2018 Nenin is deep garnet-purple in colour. It gives up scents of warm blackberries, black-cherry compote and pencil lead, with touches of sautéed herbs and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegant, with fine-grained tannins supporting loads of bright fruit, finishing long and lifted.

A Nénin with pencil-lead accents, serious for now, with tremendous potential. Ageing will add nuances and great complexity. As usual, it's the long-distance runner of pomerol.

2018 is becoming a great classic from Nénin. With 37% Cabernet Franc, the power of the vintage is tempered in favour of a muted, sumptuous charm. Luxurious but without artifice, the maturation is in service of a precise substance, with diffuse power. The finish is a millefeuille of aromas, highlighting the pedigree of the parcels.

The nose is fruity, precise, aromatic and offers concentration as well as complexity. It reveals notes of wild blackberry, violet and, more discreetly, small wild black fruits, together with a touch of wild raspberry, fine hints of nutmeg, toasty notes and spices, as well as a hint of toasted oak and a very discreet hint of cubeb pepper/iris. The palate is fruity, balanced, elegant and offers freshness, minerality, tension, a very fine creaminess, a touch of straightness as well as concentration/richness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of fleshy/juicy blackcurrant, fleshy/juicy blackberry and, more discreetly, fleshy/juicy raspberry, together with small toasty touches and chocolate, as well as a very discreet hint of vanilla (in the background), grilled notes and toasted almond (in the background). The tannins are elegant. Good length and persistence.

Logo on the cork: inverted T (Trescases) Dark, purple, youthful colour. A very aromatic and above all pure nose that intensifies on swirling the glass. Delicate on entry and immediately very aromatic, with mid-palate richness and a very fine structure, the wine unfolds flavourfully on restrained power before melting into the last third of the palate. Hedonistic, aesthetic and impossible to spit. I’m struck by the very lovely creamy return on the palate. It’s superb.

This structured wine conveys a strong sense of power. Rich, black Merlot fruits are kept in shape by tannins and by freshness, a hallmark of wines from the Delon family of Léoville-las-Cases in Saint-Julien. The wine should age well, so wait until 2027.