| 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 has been in Rothschild ownership since 1933. It is made by the same wine-making team as Mouton Rothschild. The 76 hectare vineyard contains around 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vines are an average of 39 years old. A new winery was completed in 2021.
The 2023 vintage is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
The 2023 d'Armailhac is an attractive effort, bursting with aromas of cherries, raspberries, licorice and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with a pretty core of fruit, sweet powdery tannins and lively acids, it's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot—which is a rather high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for this address.
The 2023 d'Armailhac was picked from September 7 to 30 and aged in 50% new oak. It contains the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon to date. Its tightly wound bouquet demands encouragement from the glass, perhaps just missing the panache that elevated the previous vintage. You could argue that this seems more “serious.” The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a firm backbone. It’s a little pepperier than previous vintages, closing with a streamlined finish. Give this two or three years in bottle.
A bright ruby colour. Vibrant and airy cherries on the nose, this is a juicy, zesty and delicate wine. Chalky on the palate, with pithy tannins and midweight fruit, this is a compact, red-fruited effort with a dusting of wood spice on the finish.
There’s a powdery and open texture to this red. Full-bodied and layered with a pretty and weightless texture. Blackcurrants and blueberries and an orange-peel undertone. Velvety texture at the end. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.
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%.
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 2023 d’Armailhac is a plump, juicy wine that very much captures the generous side of the year. Succulent red plum, spice, new leather, rose petal and pomegranate are nicely amplified. Armailhac can have a slight edginess in its tannin profile, but today, that is not especially evident. This is a very sexy, almost opulent d'Armailhac, despite having the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever in the blend. Drink 2028-2043.
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Fresh and crunchy, the fruit zesty. Medium-bodied but lacks some depth. Powdery tannins on the finish that stick out just a little. (JL) 13.7%
Drink 2028 – 2040
