Château d’Armailhac 2018
• Domaine: Château d'Armailhac
• Appellation: Pauillac
• Classification: Fifth Growth
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France
Château d’Armailhac neighbors the famous First Growth property, Château Mouton Rothschild. This 70-hectare vineyard hosts some very impressive terroir with mixtures of gravel, clay and limestone soil. Here, plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot thrive in a T-shaped vineyard. More than a few of these vines date all the way back to 1890 and are some of the oldest in all of Bordeaux. The vineyards were previously a part of the vast holdings of Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur – the renowned Wine Prince - who simultaneously owned several First Growth estates including Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild, and Château Latour. Even prior to being classified as a Fifth Growth in 1855, the wines from Château d’Armailhac were renowned throughout France; the second wine often served at local taverns. The wines are friendly examples of excellent Left Bank terroir, and a perfect buy for value-oriented wine lovers.
Château d’Armailhac was initially a part of the vineyards that today comprise Château Mouton Rothschild. It was purchased by the d’Armailhacq brothers who were riverboat captains on the Gironde estuary. The wines were sold under the label Mouton d’Armailhacq, and the Armailhacq family spared no expense trying to churn out wines that were on par with the estate’s illustrious neighbors, Château Pontet-Canet and Château Brane Mouton - which later became Château Mouton Rothschild. Eventually they drove themselves into debt, and in one last ditch effort to revitalize the property, they decided to spend their income on rebuilding a château. They couldn’t afford to finish the property, and to this very day the château stands half-finished. This interesting looking building stands out from the other Pauillac properties piquing the interest of any who are fortunate enough to visit the estate. Eventually Baron de Rothschild purchased it in 1934 and Château d'Armailhac has been a part of the Rothschild holdings ever since.
After purchasing the property, the Baron expanded the vineyards at Château d’Armailhac by 24 hectares. The vines here are generally on the older side – ranging from an average age of fifty years. The estate has some of the greatest quantities of Cabernet Franc in the entire Médoc, and a lot of it is older vines. As the Cabernet Franc vines die off, they continue to increase their holdings of Cabernet Sauvignon. Stylistically they are known for lighter styled Pauillacs wines. This is probably because the majority of the vinification process for their grand vin takes place in stainless steel tanks, and the wines are aged in new oak barrels.
Château d’Armailhac has changed names many times throughout the years including Château Mouton d’Armailhac, Château Mouton-Baron-Philipe, and Château Mouton Baronne. Though many consider the wines of Château d’Armailhac on the lighter side, newer vintages pack a bit more of a powerful Pauillac punch. Regardless, these wines are best consumed when in their youth, and they are remarkably approachable. The later vintages have been steadily climbing in terms of quality, yet prices still remain fair. It is clear this Fifth Growth property is one of the greater values on the Left Bank.
Tasting Notes
"The 2018 d’Armailhac has a fragrant, floral bouquet of blackberry and boysenberry fruit infused with pressed iris flowers, the new oak (45%, which is higher than vintages six years ago) beautifully assimilated and allowing it to retain superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, a little more backbone and density than the 2017 tasted alongside, and conspicuous salinity toward the precise finish. This is a superb d’Armailhac in the making." - Neal Martin, vinous.com, (November, 2019), Rating: 91-93, Drink: 2024-2045
"The 2018 D'Armailhac (14.5% alcohol) is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, harvested September 12 to October 3. Deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals a very fruity nose of crushed blackberries, warm black cherries and mulberries plus hints of potpourri, spice cake and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, the decadent palate delivers loads of black berry layers and a firm, grainy frame with underlying freshness and an earthy finish. Wonderfully opulent D’Armailhac!" - Lisa Perroti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (4/23/2019, Bordeaux 2018 Issue), Rating: 91-93
"Awesome notes of camphor, new leather, cedar pencil, chocolate, and cassis emerge from the 2018 Château D'Armailhac, a full-bodied, concentrated Pauillac that stays nicely focused on the palate, with firm yet ripe tannins, wonderful purity, and a great finish. In short, it's a classic Pauillac that needs 4-6 years of bottle age and should have two decades of prime drinking." Jeb Dunnuck, 2018 Bordeaux From The Bottle (3/11/2021) Rating: 93+
LWIN | 1006090 |
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Stock Status | In Stock |
Appellation | Pauillac |
Vintage | 2018 |
Brand | Chateau d'Armailhac |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |