2020 Aile d'Argent
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Tasting Notes
A sip of this gorgeous wine will remind you why white Bordeaux is so glorious. The nose is shy at first – all pith and minerals, gradually offering more tropical fruit – pineapple, mango – and juicy peach aromas as it opens up, with a classic herbaceous edge. On the palate it’s pure, fresh and saline – you can feel how much more there is to come with time in bottle. Notes of zesty sherbet, lemon-and-lime with a gooseberry zing lead the charge, the exoticism gradually unfurling, with a wonderful weight to the fruit – plenty of concentration and deliciously vibrant acidity (partly thanks to the lack of malolactic fermentation this year). A blend of 66% Sauvignon (Blanc and Gris) and 34% Semillon, the fruit was picked between 24th and 28th August.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The first year made entirely under the direction of Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy. I was expecting this to be the wine in the Mouton stable with the most evident transition from Philippe Dhalluin, and certainly you see a little less exuberance, a little more sculpting rather than width, with sea breeze and citrus aromatics. Plenty of bright pineapple and apricot flavours, with nuance and balance, and the salty cracker finish that you always want from this wine. Will be bottled in June 2021. Harvest began on August 24 (same as 2011, joint earliest on record) through to 28. No more malolactic during winemaking as you saw (usually just 5-10%) under Dhalluin, and no skin contact, but the rich mouthfeel is instead found through a higher proportion of Sauvignon Gris, and no longer co-fermented with the Sauvignon Blanc.
Composed of 52% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Sauvignon Gris and 34% Semillon, the 2020 Aile d'Argent has no Muscadelle this year, no skin contact and no malolactic. It sails out of the glass with fabulously flamboyant notes of fresh pineapple, nectarines and jasmine, plus suggestions of key lime pie, passion fruit and orange zest. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers opulent tropical and citrus fruit layers, supported by plenty of freshness and a decadent touch of oiliness to the texture, finishing long and impactful. So hard to resist even at this nascent stage, I can't wait to see how this is going to age!
This is full-bodied with layers of fruit. Ripe and flavorful. Lots going on with a fleshy feel. No malolactic this year. Sweet peach, honeysuckle and citrus. Contrastive. 52% sauvignon blanc, 14% sauvignon gris and 34% semillon.
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About the producer
Pauillac-based Ch. Mouton Rothschild is one of the five First Growths, producing some of the finest wine in Bordeaux and the world. Known for its flamboyant style, the label for the Grand Vin is designed by a different artist each year.