France

Mouton Baronne Philippe

Mouton Baronne Philippe Pauillac

Bordeaux

Pauillac

A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2021 d’Armailhac has a deep garnet-purple color. It skips out of the glass with energetic scents of juicy raspberries, cranberries, and red cherries, followed by hints of pencil shavings and lavender. The light to medium-bodied palate is refreshing, with loads of spring in its step, featuring approachable tannins and a red berry lift on the finish.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

In bottle, this has a beautiful curl of rosebuds and peony flowers, with a delicate tannic frame, loganberry and blackberry fruits, salinity on the finish, and it has filled out well through the mid palate over ageing. Good quality. 3.73ph. 50% new oak, 60IPT, Lucie Lauilhé first vintage as technical director, and first vintage in new cellar.

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple colored. Pops out of the glass with vibrant notes of red currants and black raspberries, followed by hints of menthol, red roses, and dark chocolate. The light-bodied palate is elegant and vibrant with spritely red berry flavors and lightly chewy tannins, finishing with great freshness.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 d'Armailhac sings of black raspberries, wild strawberries, and tilled soil with hints of dried herbs and wet slate. The medium-bodied palate is lively and elegantly styled, with plush tannins supporting delicate red and black fruit layers, culminating in a well-sustained finish. Very impressive! The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon (the highest ever percentage for d'Armailhac), 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.75. The alcohol is 13.5%.

The difference from a typical vintage colour is more marked in Armailhac than Clerc Milon, where we are more used to deep colours. This in contrast is an extremely intense Armailhac, really stepping into its Pauillac boots, a ton of deep plum, cassis and damson. Great expansion through the palate, beautiful depth of flavour, this is extremely impressive, with an edge of eucalyptus and graphite on the finish, and more grip than usual. Yields down to 26hl/h (there are more new plantings here so young vines). Second vintage with the new winery, and new technical director Lucille Lauilhé. Harvest September 8 to 27, 50% new oak, 3.83ph.

Nuanced and finessed, an understated power that delivers top notes of violet and peony, showcasing the balance and freshness of 2020 at this property, and carving out its difference from siblings Mouton and Clerc Milon. Saline kick on the finish, and a wave of campfire smoke. Harvest September 10 to 29, 50% new oak for ageing. Last vintage in the old cellar at this château, and last full vintage of Jean-Paul Voelert as director.

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2019 d’Armailhac has a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It gallops out with open-knit, flamboyant scents of black cherries, blueberry compote, and mocha, followed by wafts of blackcurrants, chocolate box, and vanilla pods. The medium-bodied palate is chock-full of wonderfully plush, textured black fruit preserve layers, lift by a refreshing line, and finishing oh-so-decadently.

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2018 d’Armailhac has a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It charges out of the gate with notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie, and fruitcake, with hints of Chinese five spice, rose oil, and sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers bags of rich, opulent fruit with just enough freshness and velvety tannins, finishing very long.

In 2016 they started aging d’Armailhac for longer and it went from 12 to 15 months. Also, the new oak increased from about 15% to 35%. The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. It has a deep garnet color and after a shake or two, it bursts with intense scents of black cherry compote, blueberry pie, and plum preserves, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, violets, and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with dense, muscular black fruits, supported by firm, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long with impressive purity.

This has a lovely deep ruby colour, and plenty of sappy energy in its tannic frame and reach, a little softer than some Pauillac 2015s at this stage. Refined tannins, charming, with a layering of dark fruit and undergrowth that slowly steals up on you. Jean-Paul Voelert technical director. Harvest September 16 to October 5. 33% new oak - the last vintage before new oak rises to today's 50%. A signficant year in the Mouton stable, as Baroness Philippine died in August 2015.

A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2014 d’Armailhac has a medium to deep garnet-brick color. It opens with notes of dried mulberries, prunes, and warm cassis, plus suggestions of tilled soil, forest floor, and cumin seed, with a waft of incense. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and elegantly styled, with a pleasant fine-grained plushness to the tannins and a savory finish. This is quite an achievement for this vintage!

Understated but with depth to the berry fruit, and keeps its signature Armailhac feel in its floral edge and saline finish. There is fruit here also, sweet crushed strawberries, gourmet cracked pepper, smoke and grilled almond. Balanced and easy to drink. A fine 2013, with a feel of the brilliant 1997 Armailhac that was not in this vertical but that I can thoroughly recommend. Harvest October 1 to 14. Jean-Paul Voelert winemaker, 33% new oak.

The 2012 d'Armailhac is medium to deep garnet colored. It features notes of sauteed herbs, leather, and tobacco over a core of prunes and dried mulberries. Medium-bodied with a lively line and approachable, chewy tannins, it is just a tad thin on fruit and short on the finish.

A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2011 d’Armailhac is medium to deep garnet in color. It races out with ready-to-go scents of redcurrant jelly, stewed plums, and new leather, followed by hints of tobacco, game, and iron ore, with a waft of dried herbs. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and refreshing, with lightly chewy tannins and a somewhat rustic finish.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2010 d’Armailhac is deep garnet-colored. It needs a lot of swirling to unlock notes of graphite, baked plums, and blackcurrant cordial, followed by hints of tobacco, dusty soil, and garrigue. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and earthy. Needs time!

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2009 d’Armailhac has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick. It comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of cherry pie, blueberry preserves, and blackcurrant pastilles, leading to suggestions of vanilla pod, dark chocolate, cinnamon toast, and lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with youthful, expressive red and black fruits, supported by velvety tannins, and finishing with fantastic length.

A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2008 d’Armailhac has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick. It needs a little coaxing to unlock notes of cigar box, crushed rocks, and smoked meats, over a core of figs, prunes, and fruitcake. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and refreshing, with savory layers and an herbal lift on the finish.

A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2007 d’Armailhac has a medium to deep garnet color. It opens with notes of warm cassis, sweaty leather, and dried sage, leading to hints of forest floor, crushed rocks, and tapenade. The light to medium-bodied palate is savory and earthy, with a slight chewiness to the tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing on a ferrous note.

A clear evolution in construction, helped by the arrival of Petit Verdot into the blend. The tannic construction of a young Pauillac that has not fully relaxed into itself gives an edge of austerity, but is delivering all the mint leaf, graphite, and the salted cracker that gives great confidence in its future ageing direction, along with softely spoken blackberry and raspberry fruit. Classically balanced and concentrated, and we are begininng to reach into the modern era. Philippe Dhalluin director, as he had joined Mouton in 2004, with Jean-Paul Voelert technical director at both Armailhac and Clerc Milon. 30% new oak.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2005 d’Armailhac is deep garnet with a touch of brick. It sails out with vibrant notes of redcurrant jelly, dried cherries, and mulberries, plus suggestions of blackcurrant pastilles, cigar box, and potpourri. Medium-bodied, the palate is taut with muscular fruit, supported by firm grainy tannins and beautiful freshness, finishing long and earthy.

A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2004 d’Armailhac is medium to deep garnet in color. It rolls out with expressive notes of boysenberry preserves, prunes, and redcurrant jelly, plus hints of wild sage, wet slate, and leather. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is delicately played and refreshing with chewy tannins supporting the savory flavors, finishing a tad rustic.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2003 d’Armailhac is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It swans out with gregarious notions of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and blackcurrant jelly, giving way to hints of tobacco leaf, sauteed herbs, and rusty nails. The medium-bodied palate delivers chewy tannins and plenty of freshness to support the earthy flavors, finishing on a mineral note.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2002 d’Armailhac has a medium to deep garnet-brick color. It bursts with exuberant notes of baked plums, raspberry coulis, and blackcurrant jelly, followed by hints of bay leaves, tilled soil, and dried Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate is crunchy and refreshing with surprisingly youthful fruit, a slight chewiness to the tannins, and an herbal lift on the finish.

The finesse of the 2001 vintage suits Armailhac, delivering a delicate wine that is showing the beginnings of tertiary character in its autumnal fruits, clove and saffron studding, and smoked earth edging. Patrick Léon director, working from this vintage with Jean-Paul Voelert, who had arrived from Lynch Bages, allowing Eric Tourbier to focus simply on Mouton, with Voelart on both Armailac and Clerc Milon - an important evolution as it alllowed more focus on the individiaul estates. Jean-Louis Lafourcade in the cellars. 30% new oak.

A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot, the 2000 d’Armailhac is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It prances out with eager-to-please scents of plum preserves, crème de cassis, incense, and rose oil, plus touches of garrigue and new leather. Medium-bodied, the palate has impressive intensity and energy, with savory and mineral accents and a plush texture, finishing with a refreshing lift.

An excellent vintage full of old school Pauillac markers, with firm slightly rustic tannins, undergrowth, eucalyptus, leather armchair, blackberry, raspberry, loganberry, edging of earth, rust, clove and white pepper. A good qualty Armailhac that is ready to drink, with the highest amount of Merlot in the lineup. A little less finesse than some vintages, but this is young, the tannins will elongate further over the next decade. Harvest September 28 to October 7. Around 80% 1st wine. 25% new oak. Eric Tourbier winemaker.

A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 34% Merlot, the 1996 d’Armailhac is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It Tumbles out of the glass with expressive scents of kirsch, blackcurrant jelly, crushed rocks, and sandalwood, with wafts of mossy tree bark and tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate offers amazingly energetic red and black berry preserve flavors, with a gently chewy texture and great tension, finishing long and lifted. Still youthful!

A reminder of why Armailhac is easily among the most drinkable of Pauillac classifieds, delivering charm and elegance. Tobacco, violet, mint and cloves dominate, with autmunal blackberry fruits beneath. The amount of Merlot in the blend rose for this vintage, but it still delivers plenty of Pauillac concentration, and the finely-boned tannins are holding everything together. You can find 'younger' feeling 1995s in Pauillac (either of Armailhac's siblings for a start), but this has gentle drinkablity, and is a wine for enjoying with a book and a fire. 3.7ph. Harvest September 18 to 27. Patrick Leon director, working with Eric Tourbier across all the estates.

A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 23% Merlot, the 1989 d’Armailhac has a medium to deep garnet-brick color. It erupts with powerful notes of crème de cassis, plum pudding, and mince pies, followed by hints of iron ore, unsmoked cigars, and dried rosemary. The light to medium-bodied palate delivers intense dried berries and mineral layers with fantastically silky tannins and a refreshing finish. This was the first vintage under the d'Armailhac label, after Baroness Philippine de Rothschild restored the name to its original identity. In 1956, Mouton d'Armailhacq was renamed Mouton Baron Philippe, then Mouton Baronne Philippe through 1988.

Rustic but totally charming, a moreish salinity evident on the finish, salt-streaked caramel almost stilton notes, along with creamy raspberry fruit and higher acidity redcurrant and gooseberry. Dusky, truffled, saffron, cassis, wax. Even though this is in its tertiary stage, you can feel the Pauillac tannins, now melted and fully integrated but still holding the fruit in place. 13% new oak barrels for ageing, really a different time, with 84% of production in the 1st wine. Harvest October 2 to 15. Raoul Blondin cellar master (along with his brother Pierre Blondin, who is less well known but was also key). Patrick Leon had arrived as director the year before, in 1985.

1982 was a very hot vintage and an early harvest. The 1982 Mouton Baronne Philippe (which was the name of Château d'Armailhac until 1989) is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Merlot and it has a medium to deep garnet-brick color. It sashays out of the glass with opulent scents of dried cherries, fruitcake, and prunes, plus suggestions of Chinese five spice, cigar box, and new leather. The light to medium-bodied palate is coated with spicy black and red berry preserves, framed by powdery tannins, finishing long and meaty/earthy.

Tawny hue around the rim, crushed roses on the aromatics, touches of wax, honey, leather, smoked earth, undergrowth, marmite and soy, delicate and balanced. I would possibly place it a little older than 1976, but that is the 1970s for you, with few vintages that truly went the distance when you compare them to wines produced in the 1960s and 1980s. This is one to drink, although it has charm. No technical information in the archives, but we can assume it is high Cabernet Sauvignon, with a good amount of Cabernet Franc also (plantings were close to 80% between the two). As an aside, it's also a real treat to taste an Armailhac under one of its former names (there were a number of them) - with this particular one a tribute to Baronne Pauline, Baron Philippe's second wife, who died in this year. Raoul Blondin cellar master.

2024	No priceNot available	Excellent
2023	No priceNot available	Outstanding
2022	No priceNot available	Outstanding
2021	No priceNot available	Excellent
2020	No priceNot available	Excellent

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Mouton Baronne Philippe
Vintages	2021
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pauillac
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
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Sugar	g/l

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