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2020 Anseillan, Pauillac
£330.00 per 6 Bot Case, in bond
£415.22 Duty & VAT paid
Merlot 63%, Cabernet sauvignon 37%
Ripe tones on the nose; bramble fruit with perfumed scents - gorgeous rose scents appear after a few minutes, expanding and becoming more expressive. Juicy and succulent, vibrant and thrilling on the palate, there's a sense of energy here, a liveliness straight away with high acidity and a saline, slate mineral edge to the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Lovely clarity and purity with textured tannins that are well integrated but give the taut and refined frame. Great focus and complexity, less textured in terms of tannins compared with 2019 but this is wide and expansive, suggesting plenty of ageing potential. 2025-2039
94 points Georgina Hindle, Decanter
Lovely aromas of Black Forrest gateau; dark chocolate and heady black cherries. Supple, with polished fine tannins. It’s instantly recognisable as Pauillac and very much a product of this ripe, exuberant vintage. Concentrated red and black cherry, strawberry and blackcurrant are intertwined with bay, lavender and dark chocolate. Whilst no shrinking violet, this has fine balance and deftly integrated oak. It’s clearly the product of expertly minimal winemaking. There’s certainly scope for further evolution in bottle. Drink now-2036+
93+ points Simon Quinn, VinQuinn
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Also available upon request:
2018 @ £360 per 6 bot, in bond
The first bottled vintage of Lafite’s new wine shows Pauillac swagger with salivating purity and a sense of openness and fun. A seriously drinkable style with blackcurrants and fragrant cherries, subtle herbal spice as well as liquorice and pencil-led mineral touches giving a nice crisp finish. This has energy, a clearly wide and expansive frame but retains refinement. A majority of Merlot at 48% with 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot. Ageing in ex-Lafite barrels of one vintage for 16 months. 2023-2030
91 points Georgina Hindle, Decanter
2019 @ £330 per 6 bot, in bond
Dark chocolate and floral notes on the nose. This has an appealing density on the palate, lovely weight, with a sculpted feel to the softly chewy tannins and dark fruit. Less immediately lively, bright and accessible than the 2018 but still stylish with a sense of character. Cool blue fruits meld with mint, liquorice, flint and touches of toast. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in ex-Lafite barrels as well as stainless steel and cement vats. 2024-2032
93 points Georgina Hindle, Decanter
2014 @ £720 per 6 mag, in bond
Experimental bottling. No official release so no reviews.
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In 2018, the estate brought back Anseillan. The vineyards for Anseillan have been under the ownership of Lafite Rothschild since its inception. Although Chateau Anseillan was produced briefly in the mid-1980s until 1991, the name remained inactive until the 2018 vintage.
Notes from Lafite:
VINTAGE SUMMARY
The vintage is so early that we prepare all year to harvest by the end of August. Harvesting is the final challenge of this campaign, spent with our eyes fixed on the weather station and our vines, fearing mildew. The final twist from the sky came as a storm on August 15th, bringing 100mm of rain. We watched it with anxiety, not knowing that we would bless it later. By the end of August, the maturity and sugar level checks seem reasonable. Yet, when tasting the berries, the aromas are extremely expressive, almost out of sync. The mid-August rain had a delayed effect, reigniting the ripening process. The harvest is superb, fermentations are racing. The musts reveal a young beast in the making, still restrained but incredibly refined and disciplined.
WINE MAKING SCHEME
Anseillan is made according to the traditional Bordeaux method. Alcoholic fermentation is conducted in wooden, concrete and stainless steel vats. Gentle pumping-over helps to ensure a soft extraction and is carried out according to the specific characteristics of each tank. Total maceration time lasts for about 20 days. After malolactic fermentation, wines are transfered into French oak barrels made by the Tonnelleries des Domaines in Pauillac for a period of 16 months approximately.
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