{"title":"La Nerthe","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e Château La Nerthe, one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, traces its origins to the 16th century, with the Tulle de Villefranche family acquiring the property in 1560 and establishing a dynasty of winemaking excellence that lasted over 300 years. The château was constructed in 1736, marking the onset of a prosperous era during which the estate became a cornerstone of the region's viticultural heritage. Alexandre Dumas praised its wines as among France's greatest reds. Ownership passed through families including the Ducos, who pioneered multi-varietal vinification and advocated for the appellation's renaming to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the early 20th century. The estate was acquired by the Richard family in 1985, who expanded holdings to 92 hectares by 1991 and transitioned to organic farming in 1998. Today, under the guidance of winemaker Rémi Jean since 2010, it continues to honor its legacy while embracing precision viticulture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eViticulture Philosophy\u003c\/strong\u003e Spanning 92 hectares across 57 plots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the estate encompasses diverse terroirs, including sandy, clay-limestone, and rocky soils on the Plateau de La Crau and surrounding the château, nourished by natural springs that impart freshness and minerality. Certified organic since 1998, Château La Nerthe cultivates all 13 permitted varieties, with Grenache dominating (70% for reds), alongside Syrah, Mourvèdre, and whites like Roussanne and Clairette. The philosophy emphasizes respect for nature through low-intervention practices, biodiversity enhancement, and plot-specific management to reveal terroir nuances, ensuring balanced ripeness and elegant structure in a Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool nights.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaking Techniques\u003c\/strong\u003e Rémi Jean employs a meticulous, terroir-focused approach, hand-harvesting grapes and vinifying parcels separately to preserve diversity. Reds, such as the flagship Château La Nerthe, undergo gentle destemming, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete and stainless steel tanks, and extended maceration for extraction, followed by aging in French oak foudres and barriques (20-30% new) for 12-18 months to integrate fruit, spice, and structure. Whites, like Clos de Beauvenir from a historic walled vineyard, feature whole-cluster pressing, cool fermentation, and lees aging in oak for texture and minerality. Minimal filtration and sulfites highlight purity, resulting in wines that balance opulence with finesse and impressive aging potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCritics and Journalist Praises\u003c\/strong\u003e Château La Nerthe's wines are lauded for their elegance, freshness, and terroir fidelity. Robert Parker has described the estate as producing \"magnificent wines\" rivaling top peers like Château de Beaucastel. The 2019 Les Granierès earned 92 points from Wine Spectator for its \"juicy raspberry and blackberry coulis\" with \"sweet spice and fruitcake\" notes, drinkable through 2030. Berry Bros. \u0026amp; Rudd praises Rémi Jean's \"impressive\" detail-oriented style, yielding \"seamless, complex\" Châteauneuf-du-Pape with \"wonderful freshness.\" Cellar Tours hails Clos de Beauvenir as \"on a par with top white Burgundy,\" underscoring the estate's prowess in both reds and whites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.regiswine.com.hk\/collections\/la-nerthe.oembed","provider":"Regis Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}