2025 Aile d`Argent (Bordeaux Blanc)

White flowers, white peach, soft pear, grilled cloves and cumin, a full mouth experience of fresh acidities, expansive slate texture and a ton of juice. This is a white that needs a year or two to reveal its full complexity, as there is clear phenolic structure, and it will only widen and deepen with a little more age. Excellent, a little hidden right now. 3.13 pH. Harvest August 19 to 29. 45% new oak, the earliest picking on record, no malolactic fermentation this year, because the richness was there, instead lees stirring during ageing. Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy technical director. 96 points

The 2025 Aile d`Argent, a blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Semillon, 7% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle, all matured in 45% new oak, reveals aromas of confit citrus and pear, with a slightly more white-fruited profile than usual. Medium-bodied, juicy, straight and tense, it’s fresh and ethereal, concluding with subtle clove notes on the finish. It`s a well-crafted and elegant rendition. 90-92 points

The 2025 Aile d’Argent is potent and deep. The blend is Sauvignon Blanc-based, but that is not especially evident in the early going. Citrus confit, white flowers, mint and chalk open with a bit of time in the glass. The team, led by Technical Director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, opted for a bit more bâtonnage to compensate for the early harvest, a choice that paid off handsomely. The 2025 is a serious Aile d’Argent for the dinner table. 91-93 points

The 2025 Aile d`Argent was picked from August 19 to 28. My sample was taken from the primary lees and has six weeks more lees-stirring than normal. It has a relatively light nose with apple blossom and Conference pear scents—it just needs a tad more vigour. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, bright and malic with green apple and gooseberry from the Sauvignon Blanc, though not long in the mouth like some other dry whites. But perfectly fine. 13.6% alcohol. 88-90 points