Chateau d'Armailhac 2018

89


Drink it now or cellar for up to 30 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Located in Pauillac, south of the Château Mouton Rothschild, Château d'Armailhac has been Grand Cru Classé since 1855. The estate bears the name of the d'Armailhac family who purchased the property around 4 centuries ago, but the Chateau is now owned by Camille and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, grandchildren of Philippe de Rothschild who purchased it in 1933. The estate extends over approximately 76 hectares of vineyards, with vines of an average age of 40 years distributed over 3 hills. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with minor additions of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grapes are harvested manually from the estate's vineyards where the soil, composed of deep gravel and clay, and limestone subsoil, guarantees the production of grapes rich in sugar and tannins and, consequently, wines of excellent quality and longevity. Chateau d'Armailhac reveals a splendid red color with garnet nuances. On the nose, it shows an exuberant and broad aromatic profile with notes of ripe red fruit such as morello cherries, black raspberries, and plum jam followed by hints of spices and bitter chocolate. On the palate, it is succulent and powerful, complex and well-structured. It has chewy, well-integrated tannins and excellent acidity. The finish is very long and recalls fresh notes of menthol and licorice. Have it with roast pigeon.