As one might expect, the 2010 Clos de Beauvenir blanc is luxurious, with super-intense fruit, a full-bodied, multi-dimensional mouthfeel with hints of dried apricot, honeysuckle, peach jam, rose water and a touch of almond paste all present in this lavishly rich, expansive and full-throttle dry white. Drink it over the next 10+ years, as it is nearly impossible to predict how these white Rhones age.
Readers should realize that neither the luxury cuvee, the white Chateauneuf du Pape, La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir, not the sensational top red cuvee called Cuvee des Cadettes were produced in 2011. The seriousness of La Nerthe is evidenced by the introduction of a second wine in order to preserve the integrity and exquisite quality of their top cuvees. Their new red, the Chateauneuf du Pape Les Granieres, is primarily a blend of nearly 50% Grenache and almost equal portions of Mourvedre and Syrah, with a touch of Cinsault, aged largely in old wood foudres, but with some of the Syrah and Mourvedre components in small barrels.
Importer: Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY; tel. (800) 946-3110