Ch. St. Esteve de Neri
The Ch. St. Esteve de Neri is situated near the foot of the village of Ansouis with the beautiful mountains of Luberon looming off in the distance. The area has been producing wines since Roman times with perfect grape growing weather and even a bit of the Mistral winds coming from the East, which are fortunately tempered by the Luberon mountains.
At the chateau, they take their vineyard management seriously but at the same time believe in minimal intervention, using no chemicals or pesticides with their top wines harvested by hand.
This weekend we're featuring the Ch. St Esteve de Neri Grande Expression 2008 Rose. A lovely mouthful, light and dry with loads of red summer fruits on the palate. A perfect wine to get you in the mood for spring and (even better) summer! (£8)
Next up is a delightful white made from blend of chardonnay and white grenache, the Ch. St. Esteve de Neri Grande Reserve 2008 is classified as a Vin de Pays de Vaucluse because of that chardonnay which is not a varietal that is classically allowed in the Cotes du Luberon. However, that chardonnay does contribute some juicy ripe apple flavours and aromas to a quite lush wine, I can see this going down to easily on a Saturday afternoon.
The chateau does two reds, one made from a blend of grenache/carignan and the other a blend of syrah and grenache. The 2006 Expression de Terroir won a silver medal at the 2008 Paris wine show and it's a rip roaring wine, plenty of tannins in there to keep you on your toes with loads of blackberries on the palate. (£8)
Meanwhile the Grande Expression 2007, hand picked, hand sorted and aged in oak it has an intense core of blackberry fruits surrounded by hearty licorice and spice, a real blockbuster guaranteed to knock out any piece of meat that comes its way. (£15)
All wines will be available to taste this weekend, Feb 26-27th. See you in the market!
