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
Tasted blind. Much riper-tasting than La Clarté de Haut-Brion. Pear and guava notes as well as oaky spice. Creamy and mealy, full-flavoured in the mouth, with rather smart oak on the palate. Taut, fresh, much more elegant on the finish than I suspected at the start. (JH)
The 2020 Aile d'Argent Blanc is more tropical-driven on the nose, with touches of passion fruit, grapefruit and lemon sherbet. There’s fine delineation, and it is unashamedly seductive. The palate is fresh and tangy on the entry with a twist of sour lemon, showing fine depth and a waxy-textured, pithy finish that is very satisfying. Quite delicious. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
The 2020 Aile d'Argent is terrific. Aromatic and vibrant, it possesses terrific energy and a bit more verve than in the past. The blocked malo style works especially well in this vintage. The Sauvignon Blanc is quite expressive, especially in the wine's aromatic profile.
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.