{"product_id":"chateau-daiguilhe-chateau-d-aiguilhe-2022-castillon","title":"Château d'Aiguilhe: Chateau d’Aiguilhe 2022 - Castillon","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"rating__content\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eD‘ Aiguilhe is Stephan Graf Neipperg’s Castillon. The appellation has had a breathtaking rise over the past ten years. So has Stephan Neipperg with his d’Aiguilhe. Castillon has become the direct contender to Saint-Émilion. And rightly so. Mostly limestone soil and Merlot-based wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e35 hectoliters yield per hectare. Aged 30% in new barriques. 14.3% alcohol by volume. Harvested from September 5th to 22nd. Followed by 32 days of fermentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe flavor here is again full of licorice, violet, and black fruit. Blackberry and mulberry, sweet and rich. A dense velvet carpet, orange zest, and beneath that a fine exotic note with passion fruit. Stylish nougat note as well. On the palate, lots of sloe berry, also cranberry, somewhat dry, sour cherry, and red currant. Lots of red fruit intensity and freshness. Elegant salty note, the tannins are polished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot a great wine, but an extremely stylish, delicious, and fine Castillon, with surprising freshness despite the alcohol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"yearreport__wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"yearreport__header rating__header\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"caption\"\u003eVintage Report\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eMost winemakers compare 2022 to 2018, but 2022 was generally even more concentrated and richer in fruit, more vibrant, creamier, and despite the extreme richness surprisingly fresh, silky, and harmonious, also reminiscent of the dream year 2016.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"yearreport__content rating__content\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e2022 is not as extremely spicy as the outstanding year 2019 and not quite as delicately refined as 2020. Experienced winemakers rather speak of a clearly more perfect reincarnation of the vintages 1982, 1961, and 1949.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was the driest summer in France since records began and overall the hottest year since 1947. Not as extreme and suddenly hot as 2003, but rather evenly warm, promoting harmony, and very dry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter heavy rain in November and December 2021, the following months remained dry and warm. The vines could therefore slowly adapt to the dryness during an even flowering. The terroirs with the best water retention properties and very deep-rooted old vines were able to use the winter and spring water reserves relatively easily through the dry summer after an early and sunny flowering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRain only returned in June and then in the second half of August with 30 to 50mm. After that, it stayed sunny and dry with a long \"Indian Summer\" well into October and even November. Everyone could wait for the perfect harvest time, especially since there was no sugar-alcohol pressure due to summer stagnations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose with old vines and perfect terroirs who were spared from the increasingly frequent April frost and the too frequent hailstorms of early summer could, especially as organic winemakers, rejoice over the complete absence of rot and fungal diseases. No one had to spray anything at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor organic winemakers with old vines and superb terroir, 2022 was therefore a perfect year never experienced before. Especially since over the past 10 extreme years, they have become accustomed to better-adapted leaf and soil management.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaint Emilion’s and Castillon’s limestone cliffs, Pomerol’s and Fronsac’s clay soils, and the thick gravel lenses of the Médoc had hardly any worries with very old vine stocks, except for the downside of slightly lower yields.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Piemont Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55950066123134,"sku":"CDA-CDA-2022","price":20.92,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3474\/7428\/files\/Chateau_d_Aiguilhe_2022_front.jpg?v=1763683578","url":"https:\/\/www.piemont-express.de\/en-intl\/products\/chateau-daiguilhe-chateau-d-aiguilhe-2022-castillon","provider":"Piemont Express","version":"1.0","type":"link"}