Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Bordeaux (White) |
Colour | White |
Type | Still |
This is the dry white wine of Mouton Rothschild that has been produced in small quantities since the first vintage in 1991. The vineyard (which is planted with 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 43% Sémillon and 2% Muscadelle) is inland from the château at the edge of the Pauillac appellation but the wine is labelled AC Bordeaux.
The 2022 vintage is made from 52% Sauvignon Blanc, 39% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle. It is being aged in 45% new oak.
Harvested in the month of August, the 2022 Aile d'Argent bursts with aromas of gooseberries, white flowers, lime zest and mango. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it's a bright, fleshy Sauvignon Blanc-dominant blend that concludes with a saline finish.
The 2022 Aile d'Argent (which has been bottled under Diam 30 since 2017) has a silvery hue. It is a little contained on the nose compared to some other Médoc whites, gradually opening with beeswax and honeysuckle scents. The palate is well balanced, with crisp acidity, an attractive waxy texture thanks to the Sémillon, with a little oiliness toward the finish. Very fine.
Bright light gold in colour with a ripe nose of honeysuckle and orange blossom. The palate is slick and plump with orchard fruits. This is a rounded Aile d'Argent, propped up by saline, subtle wood smoke. A long, fleshy wine that will drink well early.
So vibrant and minerally with salt and dried apple, peach and pears. Medium to full body. Creamy texture. Some phenolics. Dried fruit skin. Vivid acidity. 3.18 pH. 52% sauvignon blanc, 39% semillon, 8% sauvignon gris, and 1% muscadelle.
The 2022 Aile d'Argent is a blend of 52% Sauvignon Blanc, 39% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Gris, and 1% Muscadelle, made with no malolactic fermentation. It sashays out with glamorous notions of ripe white peaches, Bosc pears, and allspice, followed by hints of orange blossoms, cedar, and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating peaches and pears flavors with spicy accents and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy. pH 3.18.
Don't expect a big production of the white in 2022, as they saw just 16hl/h yields, mainly because Sémillon had such tiny berries, with high skin to juice ratio making things intense and concentrated. Think mango, pineapple, lemongrass, lime and mandarin zest, with a supple texture, with a delicious, and necessary, kick of bitterness on the finish. There has been a migration towards cooler terroir for the whites, still in their own vineyards either in Pauillac or just over appellation boundary. 45% new oak, 100% whole bunch pressing, zero malolactic (which is not always the case in Mouton), 3.18ph with zero adjustment ('this is not even something we ever discuss'). Harvest August 22 to 30. Second full year of Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy as technical director across the Mouton wines.