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 90%, Cabernet Franc 10%

Fugue de Nénin was created and first sold in 1997. Fugue comes from sandy-clay soils found in the eastern part of the Château’s vineyards, as well as from the young vines planted on the great plateau terroirs. This second wine is a typical example of the charm of Pomerol. Fugue is a reference to music; it means a repetition of the main theme. This name makes sense when you taste the wine – Fugue complements the tonalities of its older sibling extremely well, while providing its own attractive and entertaining rendition. The wines are smooth and silky and can be enjoyed earlier than those of the Grand Vin.

Decanter – 93 points

Sweet, warm, graceful, expressive. This small zone’s harmony and rightness is evident in this wine’s aroma: calm, soft, nourishing, teasing and easeful. This is pure, smooth, singing and lyrical: lovely plum and bramble fruits, weighed down with gorgeous Merlot tannins. Spot-on and delicious. Drinking Window 2019 – 2025

James Suckling – 92 points

2 Feb, 2018 – A firmness and focus to this second wine with plum, chocolate and walnut character. Full to medium body, pretty tannins and a long and fresh finish. A beauty. Second wine from Nenin.

Robert Parker – 88-90 points

The 2015 Fugue de Nenin is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc cropped at 37 hectoliters per hectare between September 17 and October 5 over nine days. It represents around two-thirds of the total production. There is a very fine purity on the nose here, especially considering that this is a deuxième vin, a mixture of red and black fruit, a touch of cedar from the Cabernet Franc emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with light and crisp tannin, tensile in the mouth with charcoal-tinged black fruit that tapers slightly towards the finish. Give this 2-3 years in bottle and then drink over the next decade. 26th April 2016