optimal maturity (more information)

Grapes harvested at the height of their maturity yield the best of their qualities including not only color, but also tannins. The results are wines that are much more balanced than those of the past.
Remember that Châteauneuf had a reputation for producing wines that were heady and heavy, and even a bit numbing.
Today, this is no longer the case for the wines of Château la Nerthe, which are harmoniously composed blends of grapes picked at the precise moment that they give forth their best characteristics. They are wines of a marvelous complexity with an alcoholic strength rarely above 13.5 or 14 degrees.