This, the second wine of Stefan von Neipperg's Ch d'Aiguilhe in the far east of Bordeaux, was a steal in 2000 and now the 2001 at exactly the same price (£8.49 exclusively in the UK at Waitrose) looks really excellent too.
It's made mainly from Merlot, the Neipperg grape, with about 15 per cent Cabernet Franc (the grand vin has 20 per cent), the vines being nearly 30 years old on our old friend argilo-calcaire (clay-limestone) soils. According to the wine notes, written by a Master of Wine, the wine was vinified traditionally with a three-week maceration and the pomace subjected to micro-oxygenation, presumably to soften those tannins. Then 12 months in presumably mainly second- or third-fill oak barrels.
Tasted alongside Ch d'Aiguilhe 2001 itself at just under £20, this second wine looked a real bargain – just what one wants from modern red bordeaux: a sensible price, bags of local character, a certain immediate attraction without exaggeration. Congratulations.
Now I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of wine Neipperg will produce from his new estate in Bulgaria (see my story in wine news earlier this year).
Other merchants to whom the wine has been sold are:
UK – Patrice Calvet UK Ltd, Palindrome Wines
Canada – Liquor Control Board of Toronto
Denmark – Gobi Vins Aps and AA Vinimport
Holland – B J de Logie
Germany – Ulrich Buchwald
US – Wine Services International
For more information contact :
Magali Malet
Vignobles Comtes de Neipperg
Château Canon La Gaffelière
F-33330 Saint-Emilion
Tel +33(0)557 24 71 33, fax +33(0)557 24 67 95, email info@neipperg.com, web www.neipperg.com