This second wine from Château d'Aiguilhe offers a ripe, scented nose with notes of black fruit. The palate shows a linear wine with polished tannins and a rich structure with beautiful notes of spice. The black fruit aromas and juicy acidity balance the wine's power to give a wine that has gourmet potential.
Acquired by Count Stephan von Neipperg in late 1998, Château d'Aiguilhe is one of the finest and most beautiful vineyards in the Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. Today, the estate covers 140 hectares, including 90 planted with vines. The vines grow exclusively on the plateau, where they benefit from south-facing sun exposure and excellent natural drainage.
The vineyards are bordered on one side by a plateau. The other side is bordered by a small valley. Chateau owner Stephan Neipperg has managed the property using sustainable viticulture with no herbicides, pesticides or insecticides used. Everything is harvested by hand into small crates and sorted before and after stemming. A thin layer of rather meagre clay-limestone and clay-silt topsoil overlays a limestone substratum that ensures remarkable water regulation. Combined with the average age of the vines, this terroir is ideal for producing quality wine.
90 points James Suckling Aromas of currants, blueberries, walnuts and lemon peel. It's medium-bodied with firm, fine tannins. Fresh and crunchy. This is such a serious wine for the money. It has the resources of the Count von Neipperg (owner of Canon La Gaffeliere) behind it, sees 30% new oak, and is drinking like a much more expensive bottle of wine. Firm black fruit framed by graphite and toast, ripe tannins provide silky mouthfeel and nice structure with bright fruits on the finish. This, too, would be fun to age over the next ten years.
