Fugue de Nenin - Pomerol Red 2011

Wine Region:Bordeaux - France

Grape: 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc.

Tasting notes: "Very ripe Merlot brings with it soft tannins and a richly perfumed character. It is dense but the the opulent fruit dominates. Black plum juice flavors characterize the aftertaste." Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

Expert Rating: Wine Enthusiast, 88/100. 

About the winery: On the eve of the 1997 harvest, Jean-Hubert Delon 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. 

Château Nénin's vineyards grow on a single block of land with the exception of one plot. In Pomerol, where it is rare for an estate to exceed 10 hectares, Château Nénin's vineyard is considered very large, with 32 hectares of vines in production. As a consequence, its terroir includes the many, diverse soils that characterize Pomerol. It is mainly made up of Oligocene deposits covered by Dordogne alluvial gravelly formations; siliceous clay and gravel, quartz, granite, iron-deposits and basalt pebbles. Château Nénin's vineyards grow on the great clay-gravel terroirs of the Pomerol Plateau.

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.

2011 is the second hottest vintage of the decade after 2003! It will be remembered for the exceptionally hot and dry spring that meant a very early flowering. In mid-July the colour change got off to a slow start and then accelerated after some rain showers. The regular summer rain counterbalanced the real lack of water observed at the beginning of the season. The final maturity levels were very good, particularly for the phenological potential in the Cabernet Francs.