Chateau Haut Marbuzet 2009: Glorious and will only get better

Yum

This was a wine of two parts. When first opened and sampled, rather later at night that it should have been, I was not particularly impressed.

I realised the next day, having given it a good airing in the decanter, just how damn good it is.

There's a lesson to learn: Never grab a bottle from the wine fridge late at night when friends come back for a final drink before overdue bedtime. Always take it from the rack (where the quaffing wine lives) rather than the 14 degree fridge!

It definitely needs an hour or two in the decanter, prefably longer I would guess, and should not be drunk when one has already ruined their palate, as I had when opening it.

Tasting it properly I found it very accessible for the commune. Silky was the word that came to mind. But it had beautiful length and depth, and the finish is a good minute of wonderful pleasure. It's not like Ormes de Pez or any of the bigger, more minerally wines of Saint-Estephe. It's more like Montrose than Meyney for me.

Writers have scored it at 90-92. I would certainly agree. The pleasure is also in the anticipation of tasting wines like this when they have aged properly. This still be a stunner in 10-15-20 years. I can't wait. Right now its around £30-50 per bottle, depending on tax etc, and worth investing in as a drinker for years to come.

My bottle was from the Carrefour in Bordeaux, which is well worth a look if you are in the area and are looking for good value young St Estephe wines in the 20-30 Euros a bottle range. Their 2005 selection seemed particularly excellent for the prices.

Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2008

They say Grenache is the most under-rated grape. Along with Carmenere, I'd have to agree.

This little beauty, Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2008, is very highly rated on various wine sites.

I can see why. I tried it this week and it's superb. A real surprise to me. It had an almost Pauillac elegance, power and smoothness, with a subtlety I usually taste more in Bordeaux wines. (Yes, the left bank mainly, I am thinking St Julien)

Berry Brothers, not known for being particularly verbose in comparison with some wine retailers, are very keen, saying it is the "Most Exciting Wine of The Vintage".

They go on to say:

"Warm, ripe, sweet red and black fruit with sun dried herbs on the nose… intoxicating and hedonistic on the palate… this really is very close to the mighty 2007 but in some ways it is more yielding, and will be ready to be quaff as the 2007 lies dormant. It’s like a Provençale perfume: a beguiling essence of where it was grown. This is an estate on the up. (Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director)

The 2008 is made up of 46% Grenache, 34% Syrah, 14% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsualt and 1% intriguingly described as ‘divers’. The wine has a floral perfume and an elegant and beautifully balanced palate, with notes of hedgerow and gentle spice to the fore and attractive velvety tannins providing eloquent support.
(Simon Field MW, Rhône Buyer)"

I can't do the detail they can, but I can recommend it as an unusual (to me) CNP.

Chris Kissack, AKA the Wine Doctor, has a useful and readable profile of the Chateau, as usual, on his site.

He notes that they are a careful bunch, and it shows in the 2008 that I tasted:

"The fruit is harvested by hand, with careful attention to ensure each variety is picked at the appropriate time; with so many different varieties in the typical Châteauneuf vineyard, the temptation to save time, money and effort by picking all together is not inconsiderable."

It's not cheap, at somewhere between £30 and £40 a bottle, depending on duty etc. But it is a real gem.