Château d’Armailhac 2019

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.  

"This year the blend is 62%Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, harvested from the 19th of September to the 9th of October. The 2019 D'Armailhac sports a medium to deep garnet-purple color and notes of warm plums, stewed cherries, mulberries and blackcurrant pastilles with touches of aniseed, wild thyme and chocolate box. The medium-bodied palate has a firm frame of fine-grained tannins and bold freshness supporting the expressive black and blue fruits, finishing with a provocative herbal lift." - Lisa Perroti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (6/8/2020, Bordeaux 2019 Issue), Rating: 91-93

"I've always loved this château, and it offers lots of bang for the buck. The 2019 Château D'Armailhac reveals a dense purple hue to go with textbook Pauillac graphite and lead pencil notes as well as more cassis style fruits, background tobacco, and subtle oak. Medium to full-bodied and elegant on the palate, it's a seamless, balanced effort to drink over the coming two decades or more." Jeb Dunnuck, BORDEAUX 2019: A Modern-Day Version of 1982? (6/11/2020) Rating: 92-94