As always, this sublime bottling is drawn from a series of clay-rich Vouvray sites (argiles=clay) that surround the Clos Baudoin. These include l'Espagnole, la Chatterie, l'Homme and la Reugnières, and le Haut Lieu (the same site of Huet fame). Set away from the river, these sites are mostly populated by 40-year-old bush vines, grown on deep, chalky clay over a subsoil of limestone. The fruit is hand harvested with multiple passes through the vineyards and the wine spends 11 months on fine lees. Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts and ageing is on lees in 600L wooden barrels (demi-muids) for around six months.

A stunning wine. We can't remember a Les Argiles with this level of detail and clarity. The texture is pure silk and while there is plenty of depth, it just seems to float weightlessly across the palate.