France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

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Chateau d'Armailhac

Chateau d'Armailhac 5eme Cru Classe Pauillac

Bordeaux

Pauillac

 Lovely deep plum colour, this has some chalky tannins, good depths of cassis and greengage fruits, with the real floral edge of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, that savoury, precise, elegant side, enjoyble with salinity and lift on the finish, Here the longer stretch of drought than normal of rainfall from end of June to mid September. Harvest began September 25 though to October 8, 3.69 pH. 50% new oak.

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.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

High Cabernet, as is the story of the vintage on the Left Bank. A wine that also continues the new story of Armailhac following serious investment in vineyards and cellar, and technical director Lucie Lauilhé. Bright and vivid from the first moment, layered cassis, crushed mint, liqourice root, crushed rocks, an excellently precise, structed and textured Armailhac. Love it. Harvest September 7 to 30. 80ha in production, 50% new oak barrels for ageing.

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.

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.

Great purity and intensity, très Cabernet and très Pauillac with violet, crème de cassis, ripe dark fruit, fine spices, very mild oak underneath. The palate is sapid and fluid with great density, grainy fine tannin, a good sense of freshness both in terms of acidity and tannin with a long pure finish.

Sommelier

Exuberant slightly Napa-like with mint, cocoa bean, dark fruit, yet with more restraint and freshness on the palate, well balanced yet youthful with more polish and finesse than the old school Armailhac. Great length and finish.

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.

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Amatør

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!

Generous aromas of ripe cabernet with plum, cedar wood and discreet oak. Good grip, rounded texture with attractive juicy fruit, good length and balance.

Nice purity and freshness, crushed red and dark berries. Nicely built with medium weight but dense fruit and good persistence of flavours, bright freshness, well integrated oak, lingering finish with purity and freshness highlighted.

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.

Rich and powerful aromatics, liquorice and graphite, rising to meet the brillance of the 2010 vintage, and it's really one to seek out. Armailhac is channeling a classic interpretation of Pauillac in this vintage, in its holding, the density of the tannins that are integrated but with bite, showcasing a wine at the beginning of its life but already deliciously welcoming. You feel the contribution of the Cabernet Franc in its floral edge, and its saline finish and this is measured, elegant, confident. 65% 1st wine. Jean-Paul Voelert winemaker, at this point working only on Armailhac, because Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy had arrived at Clerc Milon, meaning all three properties now had their own focused team. Harvest September 28 to October 15, 30% new oak.

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.

Graphite and smoke notes on the opening beats, sweet berry fruit, touch of mocha, ground coffee, liqourice, red cherry, iodine, fresh flavours coupled with ripe fruits, a lovely mix. This is a deliciously classic Armailhac that has class and elegance but also depth, with grilled almonds and fennel on the finish. A reminder than in less powerful years, Armailhac doesn't shout Pauillac, it whispers it. Jean-Paul Voelert winemaker. Harvest October 2 to 15, 30% new oak for ageing.

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.

Rødlilla på farge med orange toner. Dufter av modne og mørke bær, plomme, cedertre, fersk tobakk,cassis, krydder, lær, hint av blyantkvess. Fantastisk konsentrasjon, med kontant men delikat syre. Sitter lenge. Flott vin til entrecote. Har fortsatt mange gode år foran seg. 

Expert

Wild strawberries on the nose, this has high aromatics, gentle toast and cigar box, blond tobacco, undergrowth, the beginning of tertiary, extremely elegant, fine, and classic Armailhac at the time. Almost feels like we are in St Julien, and then the more powerful Pauillac tannins arrive. This is harmonious, with complexity and freshness, with the Cabernet Frnc giving salinity on the finish. Campfire smoke and soy start curling out after 30 minutes. 25% new oak. Jean-Paul Vezart winemaker at both Armailhac and Clerc Milon at the time.

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 vintage that was hot across the entire growing season (except for the month of April), and you feel a modern range of aromatics, with mocha, smoked caramel, raspberry, red cherry. Firm tannic architecture, and this is an enjoyable wine that really gives a window into old school Pauillac, with tobacco and saline juiciness on the finish. Patrick Leon heading up the estate, and this was the first year with Eric Tourbier as technical director across Mouton, Armailhac and Clerc Milon It was also just a year since Baron Philippe de Rothschild had died, with his daughter Baroness Philippine taking over. 3.8ph. 51hl/h yield. 89% 1st wine.

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.

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Chateau d'Armailhac
Vintages	2024
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pauillac
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
Acid	%
Sugar	g/l

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