Château Nenin is a large property by Pomerol standards and one which has long been a favourite of the British Royal Family. Nenin was owned by the Despujol family until 1997 when it was bought by Jean-Hubert and Michel Delon, the proprietors of Château Léoville-Las-Cases. Michel Rolland has been retained as a consultant and the wines are now cleaner and displaying more depth of fruit than before.

Nenin is located just outside the village of Catusseau and consists of a handsome, 19th century château and a 25 hectare vineyard set in a large park. The vineyard is south-west facing and located on a high plateau, where the soils are a mixture of deep gravels and sand.

Blend – Merlot 76% – Cabernet Franc 24%

Winemaking – The grapes are machine-harvested and then fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats.

Ageing – The wine is then matured in oak casks (20% new) for 18 months.

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 refinement. 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.

James Suckling – 92 points

3 Apr, 2016 – Aromas of dried flowers and leaves with lots of dried fruits. Full and chewy. Extracted and rich. Truffles and morels. Dried fruits. Begin drinking.

Robert Parker – 91 points

Tasted at the château and then blind at Farr Vintners’ tasting, the 2006 Nenin is actually exactly the same blend as the 2005, but I prefer this vintage. There is more freshness on the nose with redcurrant, cranberry, cedar and sous-bois aromas, dried herbs in the background. The palate is fresh on the entry with fine, supple tannin. There is good grip in the mouth, pencil shavings tincturing the black fruit with a satisfying, graphite-tinged finish. This is one of the few wines where the 2006 is clearly superior to the 2005 and it comes recommended. Tasted April 2016.

Wine Enthusiast – 90 points

There is great depth of fruit here, combined with the velvet textures that come from ripe Merlot. At the same time, this wine has a structure at its heart surrounded by that generous, delicious, blackberry fruit flavor.