Nénin

History of Château Nénin

Château Nénin has a rich family history closely linked to the evolution of Pomerol. In 1847, the Despujol family took possession of the estate, which would remain in their hands for nearly 150 years. It was in 1997, on the eve of the harvest, that Jean-Hubert Delon, owner of the illustrious Château Léoville Las Cases in Saint-Julien and Château Potensac in the Médoc, acquired Château Nénin. This acquisition was part of a logic of family continuity, as the Despujols were cousins of the Delon family.

As soon as he bought the estate, Jean-Hubert Delon undertook a vast restructuring of the property. The vines were redesigned, some were uprooted, others replanted. Improvement works were carried out to modernise the vat room, cellars and infrastructure to optimise wine vinification and ageing. In 1999, the estate expanded further with the purchase of part of Château Certan Giraud, thus reinforcing the importance of Château Nénin within the Pomerol appellation.

Today, Château Nénin is an estate that combines the heritage of several centuries of history with a modern ambition to produce Pomerol wines that rival the greatest. The estate is managed by Jean-Hubert Delon, who continues to improve the quality and refinement of the wines.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Château Nénin

The Pomerol terroir is one of the most prestigious in Bordeaux, renowned for its ability to produce wines of exceptional complexity and finesse. The Château Nénin vineyard covers 32 hectares in a single block, with the exception of a small plot. Of these lands, only 8 hectares, located on the best clay-gravel soils of the Pomerol plateau, are used for the production of the Grand Vin. The other plots, slightly lower down, are used for the production of the second wine, La Fugue de Nénin.

The soils of Pomerol are renowned for their diversity, and Château Nénin is a perfect example of this. There are siliceous clays and gravels, quartz, granites and iron deposits (crasse de fer), essential elements for giving the wines of this region their richness and depth. This diversity of soils allows the estate to cultivate vines that express themselves with elegance and complexity.

The estate's grape varieties are mainly composed of Merlot (70%) and Cabernet Franc (30%), although some old Merlot plots are over 100 years old. This significant proportion of Cabernet Franc is one of the particularities of Château Nénin, which gives the wines a unique freshness, distinction and structure. The average age of the vines is about 27 years, and the planting density is 6,300 to 7,100 vines per hectare, ensuring optimal concentration of the grapes.

Vinification at Château Nénin

At Château Nénin, vinification is a subtle alchemy between tradition and innovation. Production is based on meticulous attention to every step, from harvesting to ageing, in order to preserve the purity and authenticity of the grapes. Harvesting is done by hand to ensure optimal quality of the bunches.

Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats of varying sizes (between 70 and 160 hectolitres). This choice of vats allows perfect control of fermentation temperatures, in order to extract the best aromas and structure from the grapes. The Grand Vin is then aged in French oak barrels, of which about 30% are new, for an average of 18 months.

A distinctive feature of Château Nénin is the integration of 5% of production in TAVA amphorae for recent vintages, allowing different micro-oxygenation and promoting fruit expression. This method is used in addition to traditional barrel ageing, and contributes to the final complexity of the wine.

In recent years, ageing has been optimised, with an increasingly rigorous selection of lots destined for the Grand Vin, which explains the notable improvement in the quality of vintages since 2015. The expertise of consultant oenologist Éric Boissenot, recognised worldwide, is also an asset for the estate.

The cuvées of Château Nénin

Château Nénin produces two major cuvées, each representing a different facet of the terroir and the Delon family's expertise.

Château Nénin - Grand Vin

The Grand Vin of Château Nénin comes from the best plots of the estate, located on the clay-gravel plateau of Pomerol. This wine is characterised by its firm structure, aromatic complexity and exceptional ageing capacity. Composed mainly of Merlot, with a significant proportion of Cabernet Franc (up to 37% in some vintages), Château Nénin combines power, elegance and balance. It is distinguished by notes of black fruits, spices and a distinctive minerality, inherited from its terroir rich in crasse de fer.

Château Nénin is a wine for ageing par excellence, which requires time to express its full potential. The best vintages of recent years (2018, 2020) are recognised for their finesse and intensity, offering long and harmonious finishes.

Fugue de Nénin - Second Wine

Fugue de Nénin, created in 1997, is the estate's second wine, made from younger vines and plots located at the foot of the plateau. This wine is the more accessible and charming expression of the Pomerol terroir. Round and silky, it can be enjoyed earlier than the Grand Vin, while retaining characteristics reminiscent of its elder sibling.

The name Fugue refers to the musical world, evoking a repetition of the main theme (the Grand Vin), with a lighter and more entertaining interpretation. Fugue de Nénin is distinguished by its immediate charm, fruity aromas and supple tannins, making it an ideal wine to enjoy in its youth.

Pomerol, one of Bordeaux's most prestigious appellations, has produced some of the finest wines over the decades. The most notable vintages include 1970, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1990, renowned for their complexity and longevity. Other exceptional years such as 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 continue to delight fine wine enthusiasts. More recently, the vintages 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 have confirmed Pomerol's ability to offer wines of exceptional quality, thus cementing the appellation's reputation amongst Bordeaux's finest.

Discover the other great châteaux of Pomerol, true treasures of the Right Bank, where each estate rivals in excellence. Beyond the legendary Pétrus, explore prestigious names such as Beauregard, Bon Pasteur, Clinet, Gazin, Haut Trochaud, L'Eglise Clinet, La Conseillante, La Fleur Pétrus, Lafleur, Le Pin, Latour à Pomerol, Nénin, Trotanoy, or even Vieux Château Certan. These estates, often compared to the great classified growths of Saint-Émilion, offer a unique experience, rich in finesse and character, which will delight connoisseurs of fine wines. 

Château Nénin is an essential reference in the Pomerol appellation, combining family tradition and the quest for excellence. Thanks to the massive investments made by the Delon family and the meticulous attention paid to every stage of production, Château Nénin wines are today among the most refined in Pomerol. Whether it's the Grand Vin, powerful and complex, or the Fugue de Nénin, lighter and more accessible, each cuvée reflects the exceptional expertise of the estate and the richness of its terroir. In short, Château Nénin is an invitation to discover one of the finest expressions of the Bordeaux vineyard, with wines capable of seducing both lovers of great growths and the most demanding connoisseurs.