Armailhac 2018

Complex aromas of blackcurrant, black olive, clove, oyster shell, pencil lead and tobacco. It’s full-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Concentrated and focused with a very long, spice and mineral finish. Fantastic bottle. Try from 2026.

The 2018 d’Armailhac has retained its alluring floral bouquet, delivering layers of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, crushed violet petals and background scents of marjoram and sage, all beautifully defined. The palate is perhaps just a little oakier than I recollect from barrel [I subsequently found out that this spent 17 months in barrel, longer than in the past] but still very well balanced, with a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and silky-smooth toward the finish, with a touch of graphite lingering on the aftertaste. It may merit a higher score with cellaring but I will remain prudent with my score... for now. 2024 - 2045.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 D’Armailhac (a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot) hits the ground running with wonderfully open-knit, flamboyant scents of Morello cherries, black raspberries, blackcurrant jelly and rose oil, leading to an undercurrent of cinnamon toast, aniseed and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energy and expressiveness, delivering red and black berry layers with loads of spicy sparks, framed by plush tannins, finishing long and fragrant. 2022 - 2039.

This is clearly one of the most concentrated d’Armailhacs that has been produced in recent decades owing to the extremely small and concentrated berries, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested at the end of the growing season. It’s also one of the best, with clear personality and power, and although still the least complex of the three Pauillacs in the Mouton stable, it should offer the best value giving a ton of rich fruit and cigar box frisson. 5% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. 3.7pH. Tasted several times – always with the same impression.

Drinking Window 2026 - 2040

Tasted blind. Slightly muddy nose and simple cassis fruit. Some greenness. 14.5%
Drink 2026 – 2034

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot; 50% new oak. Barrel sample.
Black core. Scented with cassis and cassis leaf, lightly cedary. (This last is, unusually, a rare descriptor in this vintage.) Aromatic but not as much as Duhart-Milon tasted just after. Very tannic and chewy, dense, compact and telling you to stay away but not lacking fruit in the middle and the aroma is extremely inviting. Needs time to unfurl. (JH) 14%
Drink 2028-2038

Medium-deep purple in the glass, with a mixture of sweet red and black fruits on the nose, layered with the toastiness of judicious new oak use. The palate is seductive, with polished and silky tannins gently framing the bright core of fruit. While ripe, there is good lift and vibrancy as the tannins build to give a crunchy, chalky finish that is savoury and long.

Deeply colored, the 2018 Château D'Armailhac is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot brought up in 40% new barrels. Cassis, hints of blue fruits, graphite, charcoal, and spicy oak notes all emerge from this deeply colored effort. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, it offers ripe, present tannins, terrific freshness, and a great finish.

(55 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Merlot, 10 Cabernet Franc, 5 Petit Verdot) | 14.5% alc Very commanding and robustly fruited, this is a dense, velvety d’Armailhac with structure and layers of plum and chocolate fruit. Not overly complex but certainly luxurious and imposing this is a style of wine which will appeal to all palates thanks to its generosity and depth of flavour. There is certainly enough grip to allow this wine to expand in time and while the finish is quite tart, this will inevitably fade quickly.