Bonjour, amis! Ce vin est délicieux! Hello, friends, and welcome back to Cépage et Cuisine, Mary’s and Brian’s wine and food blog. This wine is delicious! Today, we are highlighting Château La Nerthe, our favorite Châteauneuf du Pape producer, and a great food pairing, braised duck leg.
Châteauneuf du Pape is the most well known and prestigious appellation in the Southern Rhone Valley of France. Its name is derived from the ruins of an enormous castle that was built as a summer retreat for the pope, built under the direction of Pope John XXII during the 14th century.
Mary and I visited the Southern Rhone a year ago and spent a day in Châteauneuf, touring the castle ruins and tasting wine at a few châteaux. Here you see photos of both sides of the ruins, the grandeur readily apparent.
The Southern Rhone Valley is known for the strong winds that blow through the area, known as Le Mistral. A mistral was blowing fiercely the day we visited. Local residents seemed to take it in stride, but here in the Gulf South we call winds like that a hurricane. The winds do serve a purpose of drying out the grapes and preventing rot and mildew. You can see how the winds bend the trees in this photo.
This photo shows a typical vineyard near Châteauneuf. The large stones, called galets in French, were washed down from the Alps by the Rhone River over millions of years. Now, they cover much of the landscape. During the day, the stones are heated by the sun, then radiate their warmth at night. The vines are not generally trellised. You see they are pruned low to the ground.
Most red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape are blends of up to 13 red grapes. The most well known are Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise. Grenache is the most common grape of the area and often comprises a majority of the wines. It provides a fresh, red berry and spice character. Syrah and Mourvedre add an earthy, savory quality and enhance the complexity of the wine. When produced with balance and elegance, the wines of Châteauneuf du Pape are interesting, delicious accompaniments to hearty foods such as beef, lamb, and game. We enjoyed the La Nerthe with a dinner of duck leg.
We have enjoyed Château La Nerthe for years, dating back to early in our wine hobby, mostly because it is readily available here in Jackson and fairly affordable. It is not an everyday wine, but for the weekend or with guests, it is a wonderful example of the wines of Châteauneuf. In contrast to some of the modern styles coming from the area, La Nerthe practices restraint, balance, and elegance. Their wine shows the aromas and flavors of the place and the grapes without descending to dried fruit and jammy, compote flavors of overripe grapes and high alcohol. Here are my notes on the wine and a few photos from our visit to Château La Nerthe, including ancient cellars where they store barrels of wine.
Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape 2001. Sniffing this wine takes us right back to Châteauneuf du Pape and that windy, hot, garrigue aroma of the Southern Rhone Valley. Thyme, sage, rosemary, earth, and berries all highlight the aroma profile. At 10 years, the palate is silky smooth in texture, medium-bodied, tannins mostly resolved. Acidity is a pleasant medium. The spiciness of the Grenache appears along with earthy, savory, dark berry and plum notes. Nicely balanced, complex, good length, an excellent wine from a reliable producer. 50% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault, 2% others, 13.5% alcohol. We paid $40 for the wine.
Here’s our wine with a delicious dinner of braised duck leg, parsley potatoes cooked in duck fat, and a green salad, designed and prepared by Chef Mary! She is amazing!
That’s our post for today. We hope you enjoyed it. We have some interesting food and wine posts coming up, so check back at Cépage et Cuisine. In the meantime,
Cheers!
Mary♥Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment