Château Nénin 2001

You have to like the chocolate and berry character in this young wine. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a lovely, refined structure. Long and silky. Beauty. Best after 2008.

Deep garnet, purple glints. Restrained, very closed bouquet, complex, with fine buttery notes. On the palate warm, berry‑toned, showing well‑integrated acidity, fine astringency, elegant.

04: Deep garnet with a purple sheen. Restrained, very hard-to-approach bouquet; feels complex and shows delicate buttery notes. On the palate warm, berry-driven, with well-integrated acidity, fine astringency, elegant and excellent, with medium potential. 17/20 2006 – 2018

Pencil lead and charcoal notes are clear from the opening beats, with the tannins lending architecture and structure to the black fruits. This vintage showcases the serious style that has given Nenin the image of being a Left Bank-style Pomerol, with its mint leaf twist on the finish. As it relaxes into the glass, the tannins widen and soften, giving delicious forward momentum to the cassis and blackberry fruits. The new cellar opened in 2001, and the vines of Certan Giraud had been incorportated into the 1st wine of Nenin, with their excellent terroir on the Pomerol plateau. 35% new oak. Last year (in this vertical) with Michel Depoiziers as technical director

Lovely textural finesse and overall harmony, with a lifted, airy character and racy length.

Slightly evolved colour. Fruity, ripe nose, slightly alcoholic. Soft palate, very fruity, rounded at mid-palate, with a long, suave, ripe finish.

There have been major investments and improvements implemented at this estate by the Delon family, but the 2001 Nenin did not perform as well as I expected. It is pinched, tightly knit, and somewhat monolithic with surprisingly simple flavours. A deep ruby/purple colour is followed by aromas of truffles, black cherries, cranberries, and currants. This blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc possesses medium body, moderately high tannin, and a short finish. I am sure there is more here, but the wine did not perform as well as I had hoped. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015. Not yet released