| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This good value classed growth Pauillac was formerly known as Mouton Baronne Philippe and is made by the same wine-making team as Mouton Rothschild. The blend here in 2018 was 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.
More classically proportioned than the exuberant 2018, the 2019 D'Armailhac wafts from the glass with aromas of violets, blackberries and cassis complemented by subtle hints of licorice, sweet soil tones and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and perfumed, it's fleshy and enveloping, with an ample core of succulent fruit and beautifully polished, powdery tannins. - Drink 2025-2050
A solid, linear red with a beautiful core of fruit and firm tannins, showing blackcurrants and finesse. Full and compact. It’s very fresh and aromatic with violets and hints of spices. Clean and vivid at the end, 62% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot, 9% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Try after 2025.
Made from 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2019 d'Armailhac is deep garnet-purple in color. It flies out of the glass with vibrant scents of blackcurrant jelly, kirsch, and wild blueberries, plus touches of menthol, pencil lead, and cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled, bright, crunchy, and refreshing, with soft, fine-grained tannins and a floral finish.
The 2019 d'Armailhac is very perfumed, quite floral on the nose, touches of mint and cassis pinning this down as a Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with a slight bitterness on the entry. The tannins are rougher than its peers, yet balanced with a fresh saline, rather sinewy finish. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2024-2034.
Autumnal underbrush and blackberry aromatics, this has vertically tight tannins at this young stage. More structure, freshness and density than you would typically find in older vintages of Armailhac, but that means inevitably there is also a little more austerity. Huge potential, with violet and peony flowers teased out of the glass as things soften up, with beautifully balanced cassis and blackberry fruits. Harvest September 19 to October 9. Bottled in May. This is the last vintage made in the old cellars (with the new ones now totally finished as of the 2021 vintage).
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Light and a little loose-textured. Sweet start. A bit jagged. Not the most sophisticated. 13.5%
Drink 2026– 2034
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.
Black core, deepest crimson rim. Intense, rich but elegant black fruit. Rich but not overly sweet. Firm, dry, with finesse as well as richness. The tannins are firm as well as smooth and dry. This has great harmony even now between structure and fruit. Really lovely wine. (JH) 13.5%
Drink 2030 – 2042
Based on 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2019 Château D'Armailhac showed beautifully from barrel two years ago, and it doesn’t disappoint now from bottle. Despite the high Merlot content, it has a firmer, focused, youthful style that's going to benefit from short-term cellaring. Giving up plenty of ripe black cherry, mulberries, and cassis-like fruit as well as textbook Pauillac lead pencil, forest floor, and tobacco, it's medium to full-bodied, has good mid-palate density, subtle background oak, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. It shows the vintage's more elegant, classic style yet doesn't lack for concentration or length. It's going to benefit from just 3-4 years of bottle age and drink fabulously well for two decades. It's the finest d’Armailhac I've tasted.
A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2019 d'Armailhac is deep garnet-purple colored. It prances out with showy scents of crushed black and red cherries, mulberries, and cassis, plus hints of roses and violets crushed together. Medium-bodied, elegant, and with a quiet intensity, it has very soft, polished tannins and a perfumed finish.
The 2019 d'Armailhac was the last vintage made in the old winery that has since been demolished to make way for a new gravity-fed facility that will be equipped with 50 smaller vats tailored to the parcels in the vineyard. It will provide greater space that will permit longer élevage if desired. It is fascinating to juxtapose again its Clerc Milon stablemate. There is more amplitude on the nose, it is more forthright with blackberry, wild hedgerow, tobacco and a subtle leather aroma. It comes across less high-toned than previous vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and slightly more mid-palate depth/grip than the Clerc Milon. The crescendo here is wonderful, fanning out towards the finish with subtle black pepper, sage and mint notes. This is a delicious d'Armailhac in the making.
A polished, refined red with blueberries, blackberries and some dark chocolate and spice, such as cloves and black pepper. Full-bodied, round and ripe. Crisp and fresh at the end. Juicy and delicious already.
