Chateau d’Armailhac 2016

Chateau d’Armailhac, classified as a Fifth Growth in 1855, is a close neighbor of Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Its 123 acres of vines, surrounding the beautiful grounds of the main house, are planted with the typical varieties of the region: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Their wines, aged in oak casks, combine finesse and elegance with powerful, well-structured tannins and are highly sought after!

95 Points – James Suckling This is a really driven dArmailhac showing blackcurrants and fruit tea with hints of bark on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, very firm and structured with a long and powerful finish. Direct and linear. Try after 2023.

94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck A thrilling bottle of wine that readers should snatch up is the 2016 Chteau dArmailhac. This deeply colored, medium to full-bodied, powerful Armailhac gives up a lovely perfume of blackberry and plums fruits, violets, graphite, cedar pencil, and earthy, herbal nuances. Classic, ripe, layered, and just a beautiful Pauillac any way you look at it, it has plenty of upfront sex appeal but is going to keep for 20-25 years as well. Bravo! The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

93 Points – Wine Spectator This juicy red sports dark plum, fig and boysenberry fruit backed by an equally strong wave of bramble and sweet tobacco notes. The cast-iron spine pins down the finish, so give this a little time to integrate fully. Best from 2023 through 2038.

93 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Deep garnet-purple coloured, the 2016 D’Armailhac opens with gregarious crme de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.

93 Points – Decanter There’s fairly high acidity on the attack here, and yet it’s well balanced by a body that’s richer and deeper than in many years of Armailhac. You can definitely feel the texture and the powerful depth of brambly fruit, and there are also some of the signature lilting floral notes, given extra charge through graphite, liquorice, cassis, and that pulsating acidity. Great quality. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

90 Points – Wine Enthusiast This is a ripe wine, full of black fruits with attractive tannins. It has depth but the wine is more about fruitiness and relatively quick development. Drink this already delicious, lightly spicy wine from 2022.