This is a special wine with unique black-cherry character and hints of hazelnuts. Full bodied, tight and totally melted together with the firm and ultra-fine tannins Extremely long. - jamessuckling.com, April 2019

The 2018 Nenin is a blend of 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc, weighing in at 14.6% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, the nose explodes with bombastic notions of baked black plums, stewed cherries and boysenberries with suggestions of licorice, eucalyptus, clove oil and hoisin. The medium to full-bodied palate has a lovely line of freshness lifting the ripe, rich, dark fruit layers, framed by plush tannins, finishing with lingering exotic spice notes.

The 2018 Nenin is made up of 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc and has 14.6% alcohol. Yields were 33.8 hectoliters per hectare, and grapes were harvested between September 13 and October 12. The wine is to be aged in barriques, 45% new, and the finished blend was put into barrels last December. Deep purple-black in color, it sings of Morello cherries, Black Forest cake, licorice and lavender with a core of plum preserves, unsmoked tobacco and warm blackberries plus a waft of Provence herbs. Full-bodied and concentrated yet bursting with energy, it has a solid backbone of firm, rounded tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, April 2019, The Wine Advocate

The 2018 Nénin is matured in 45% new oak for 16 months and contains a high proportion of Cabernet Franc like the previous vintage. It was picked from 13 September until 10 October. It has a flamboyant and floral bouquet with potent violet scents that threaten to overshadow the fruit behind. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and a fine bead of acidity. I like the freshness here and the "coolness" on the finish that disguises the warmth of that later summer. The strict selection, only 35% of the crop, paid dividends.

The 2018 Nénin offers a good bit of red/purplish berry fruit at the outset. Sweet floral and spice notes give the 2018 a good bit of aromatic brightness and lift. On the palate, the wine is a bit constricted, especially on the mid-palate. Nénin has been an inconsistent performer en primeur. It will be interesting what élevage brings. The blend is 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc. Tasted four times.

Black core with purple rim. As on the Fugue de Nénin, that exotic spice like nutmeg on the nose, but floral too like peony or wild roses. Highly perfumed. On the palate, lots of spice – cinnamon too – and here there's a really supple and smooth dark-chocolate texture. Very distinctively aromatic. Dark fruit and dark chocolate on the palate and a nice freshness to balance, more restrained on the attractively dry finish with the freshness of the Cabernet Franc.Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019