History
The roots of Château La Nerthe go back to the first planting of vines in the area in the 11th century, and mention of the current estate date to 1560. From this time up to 1870 when phylloxera hit the vineyard, the estate was controlled by the Tulle de Villefranche family. In 1870, the property was sold to Joseph Ducos, who was a pioneer in the grafting of rootstocks, and was thus able to overcome phylloxera. The property remained in the hands of the descendents of this family until 1986, when it was purchased by the Richard family, who hired noted expert Alain Dugas to make the wines.
Vineyards
The vineyards of Château La Nerthe occupy 90 hectares of red clay covered with large rounded stones on the east-facing slopes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The vineyard blend is described by the owner as follows: “Grenache and Cinsault giving alcohol and strength and making up 20% of the blend; Mouvedre, Syrah, Muscardin and Camarese (Vaccarese) giving age ability and flavor, and constituting 40% of the blend; Counoise and Picpoul giving freshness and aroma and constituting 30%, and the white grapes Clairette, Roussanne and Bourboulenc giving finesse and brilliance, and comprising 10% of the blend.”
The five hectare plot for the Cuvée des Cadettes was planted at the beginning of the 20th century, and is composed mostly of Grenache and Mourvèdre along with a little Syrah. The white is composed of Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, and the blend for the Beauvenir is composed of 40%Clairette, and 60% Roussanne.
Grape Growing
Yield is kept very low – two to two and a half tons/acre (25 hl/ha). They are pruned to 4 – 6 spurs of two buds each, and leaves are pulled and a green harvest is conducted to improve ripeness and uniformity in the vineyard. Synthetic fertilizers are avoided, and the grapes are picked entirely by hand.
Winemaking
Sorted both in the vineyard and again on tables at the winery and then destemmed by hand, the grapes flow by gravity into a pneumatic press. After a gentle pressing with some berries left whole, the must is fermented in 60 hectoliter tanks. Extraction is assured by gently punching down the cap of skins into the fermenting juice (for the Grenache and Mourvèdre) and by pumping the juice over the top for the other varieties. Fermentation is conducted between 80 - 90° F.
After draining, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation, partially in tank and partially in oak casks. Only free-run juice is used for the production of Chateau La Nerthe. Grenache and Cinsault are aged in tank or large wooden uprights, while other varieties are aged in 30% new Allier oak casks for a year.
The wines of La Nerthe undergo a strict selection process, with only a portion released under the main label. Some is sold under the second lable as Clos de la Granière, and some is sold off in bulk.
For the white wine, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc are fermented together, while the Clairette and Roussanne are fermented separately. All fermentations are done with wild yeast. The fermentation is kept at 64 – 68° F to improve extraction. No malolactic fermentation is done for this wine, and the wine is matured in tank.
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