Chateau la Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2021 750ml

La Nerthe’s 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape offers up subdued hints of leather, black cherries and plum on the nose. A blend of 39% Grenache, 33% Mourvèdre and 25% Syrah, with a few percentages of other permitted varieties, it’s full-bodied and powerful but not overly concentrated, with a velvety feel on the dark chocolate-tinged finish. I’d opt for drinking it on the young side.

• Country: France
• Region: Rhone Valley
• Appellation: Chateauneuf Du Pape
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red
• Alcohol by Vol: 14.5%

Varietal

Red Rhone Blend

The Rhone region of France has been producing superb quality white blended wines for centuries, and is a region highly respected and esteemed around the world, with plenty of New World countries keen to emulate the styles and techniques displayed by the historic wineries and skilled vintners of the area. The secret to the Rhone’s success when it comes to blended white wines is the careful and expert selection of certain grape varietals, which each lend special features to the blended wine and bring balance and harmony to the bottle. Most commonly, blended white Rhone wines feature no more than two grapes of either the Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne or Grenache Blanc varietals, and are renowned for their exceptional flavors and highly aromatic, floral character.