Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee des Cadettes 2004

Professional Ratings

• 94 Wine Spectator
  Polished, with plum, violet and mocha notes, yet also very packed, with fleshy plum and boysenberry fruit and licorice and graphite flavors. The long, spice- and fruit-filled finish is really well-built. Hard to lay off now, but should only get better. Drink now through 2027. 1,000 cases made.
• 93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes boasts more raspberry and red fruits than the 2005 with decent acidity, powerful flavors for a 2004, and surprising depth and length. This will certainly be one of the vintage's richest, densest, and longest-lived wines, drinking reasonably well young, but not hitting its peak for another 3-4 years. It will last for at least two decades.

  Because of the use of small barriques, especially 100% of them for the top-notch Cuvee des Cadettes Chateauneuf du Pape, I suppose it's popular to say that La Nerthe is a modern style of Chateauneuf du Pape, but I would prefer to use the word "progressive." That's largely because this is an estate where the new oak is not overdone, due mostly to their use of so much Mourvedre and Syrah in the final blend. In fact, other than Beaucastel and Clos St.-Michel, La Nerthe is the only other estate in Chateauneuf du Pape to use so much Mourvedre in their wines, which obviously provides structure. Moreover, the Mourvedre can handle barriques.