Château d'Armailhac Pauillac 2020
- ws94
- we93
- v93
- jd91+
Category | Red Wine |
Varietals | |
Brand | Château d'Armailhac |
Origin | France, Bordeaux, Pauillac |
Alcohol/vol | 13.5% |
Other vintages
Château d'Armailhac's prestigious history begins in 1680 when two brothers, Dominique and Guilhem Armailhacq, planted their family estate in Pauillac with grapes. For much of its history, it was known as Mouton d'Armailhacq, and is ranked as a Cinquièmes Cru, or Fifth Growth, in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. In 1931 Baron Philippe de Rothschild took control of the estate. In 1956 the name was changed to Mouton Baronne Philippe, and then in 1989 the wine was restored to its original identity: Château d'Armailhac.
The vineyards of Château d'Armailhac covers 70 hectares, planted on light, deep gravelly soil over a clay-limestone base, in the north of Pauillac, with 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The vines average 46 years of age, and 20% of the vineyard surface area is the same as it was in 1890! All grapes are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness, parcel by parcel, and destemmed before fermentation and aging in French oak barrels, about 25% of which are new. Each vintage is treated differently in the vineyard and cellar, with the d'Armailhac team's experience and knowledge guiding their decisions.
Wine Spectator
- ws94
Shows a core of lovely mulberry, cassis and plum reduction flavors that stretch out over a racy graphite note, in turn revealing flashes of anise, apple wood and sweet tobacco. Offers a late tug of warm earth, too. Rock-solid, with an old-school hint. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2038.
Wine Enthusiast
- we93
Ripe and juicy fruits go along with intense background tannins, giving this wine richness as well as structure. Open and full of fruit, the wine still needs time. Drink the wine from 2026.
Vinous
- v93
The 2020 d'Armailhac has a very pure bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, crushed iris flowers and hints of potpourri, tightly-wound at first but opening nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly angular tannins at first, fine acidity, pure blackberry and graphite notes becoming more accentuated towards the finish. That could only come from Pauillac. A classy d'Armailhac that bestows great terroir expression and sense of classicism.
Jeb Dunnuck
- jd91+
The 2020 Château D'Armailhac is a blockbuster that's going to reward patience. Based on 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, its inky purple hue is followed by a deep, concentrated, mouth-filling Pauillac offering classic darker currant fruits, notes of graphite and lead pencil, building tannins, and outstanding length. This chewy, tannic, backward wine will need 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades.