Château Nenin 2018

On the eve of the 1997 harvest, Jean-Hubert Delon (owner of Château Léoville Las Cases) purchased Château Nénin, which had belonged to his cousins, the Despujol family, since 1847. A major restructuring was immediately undertaken. The pruning and trellising methods were reviewed, the land was drained, the vines were replanted or uprooted, and the equipment modernized. The ageing and storage cellars were extended and completely re-fitted, and air conditioning was added. A new vat room, furnished with state-of-the-art equipment, was built thereby completing the total transformation of the property.

According to the Delon family, Château Nénin is the epitome of a great Pomerol "vin de garde" (wine for laying down). It combines power and elegance, complexity and balance, purity and refi nement. The gradual increase of Cabernet Franc within the vineyards gives the wine tautness, distinction and freshness. To really appreciate the Grand Vin's ageing ability, you may need to be patient. Like all great Pomerol vins de garde, Château Nénin blossoms over time.

"The 2018 Nenin is made up of 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc and has 14.6% alcohol. Yields were 33.8 hectoliters per hectare, and grapes were harvested between September 13 and October 12. The wine is to be aged in barriques, 45% new, and the finished blend was put into barrels last December. Deep purple-black in color, it sings of Morello cherries, Black Forest cake, licorice and lavender with a core of plum preserves, unsmoked tobacco and warm blackberries plus a waft of Provence herbs. Full-bodied and concentrated yet bursting with energy, it has a solid backbone of firm, rounded tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/23/2019, Bordeaux 2018 Issue), Ratings: 93-95