Chateau d'Armailhac 2014

This is very tannic yet polished and firm with currants, bark, and stones. Full-bodied and muscular and linear. Love the length. Beautiful. Try in 2020.

The oak still dominates and the wine feels closed, but the quality of the tannins, along with its balance and freshness, is very encouraging.

The 2014 D'Armailhac has a clean and fresh bouquet with plenty of fruit: blackberry and raspberry coulis, a touch of cedar coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine line of acidity and a tangible level of mineralité on the tensile finish. This is a sophisticated d'Armailhac, probably one that will be approachable after 4-5 years. Recommended, even if I do not regard it as the greatest d'Armailhac in recent years.

Fresh and pure, but not shy on depth, offering an ample core of cassis and blackberry purée flavors. There's a fine chalky minerality throughout, but overall the structure is polished. Anise and spice notes add range. Best from 2018 through 2028.

Sometimes seen as the junior estate in the Mouton-Rothschild stable, this property is now showing its own fine character. The wine is juicy with crisp fruit and soft tannins. It is in a rounded generous style that will allow it to be drinkable relatively soon. Drink starting from 2020.

A beautiful black fruit laden Pauillac that, even at this early stage, exhibits an essence of sister estate Mouton. The wine is starting to open out but there is a lot more to come with silky tannins that are well integrated. As usual, in a modest vintage, this is a wine that punches well above its weight.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Sweet Cabernet fruit but slightly unformed. Very juicy and a bit simple. Then quite a welter of dry tannins. Not a charmer – at this stage anyway. Just a tad brutal. (JR)

The 2014 d'Armailhac is bright, precise and finely sculpted. Expressive red stone fruit, flowers, mint, chalk and citrus abound in this vibrant, beautifully delineated Pauillac. Open-knit and expressive, with good depth and silky tannins, the wine exudes class. The fresh, invigorating style is classic 2014. This is a lovely showing. Tasted two times.

Solid wine this year, with a spicy, dark, red berry nose, complicated by tobacco and earthy aromatics. Medium/full bodied with freshness, finesse and refined, ripe, sweet fruits in the finish.

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core with a violet rim. Slightly sweet bouquet of red berries and a hint of blackcurrant, showing a lovely, elegant fullness on the nose. On the palate, charming, with soft tannins and an aromatic finish. Better than 2012 and 2013. That’s actually logical. But unfortunately, over the last two years I was rather disappointed by this cru. Now it’s back on track!

Deep purple-garnet color, dense at the core, with a violet sheen around the rim. Slightly sweet bouquet of red berries with a touch of blackcurrant, showing lovely, elegant fullness on the nose. Charming on the palate, with silky tannins and an aromatic finish. Better than 2012 and 2013. Which is only logical, really. But over the past two years, I was unfortunately rather disappointed with this cru. Now it’s back on track!

(50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot) Elegant, subtly austere bouquet with blueberries, blackcurrant, black cherries and precious woods. A balanced, fresh, elegant palate with fine, sweet fruit, good tannins, a classic structure, intense dark aromatics, and a long, full finish. 17/20 2022 - 2038

A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2014 d’Armailhac has a medium to deep garnet-brick color. It opens with notes of dried mulberries, prunes, and warm cassis, plus suggestions of tilled soil, forest floor, and cumin seed, with a waft of incense. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and elegantly styled, with a pleasant fine-grained plushness to the tannins and a savory finish. This is quite an achievement for this vintage!

Deep color, slightly smoky and musky nose, nice tannins, not ready yet.

Beautifully refined, with a focused, generous and open palate. A seductive wine with a lovely rounded feel.

The color is purple and the nose is fairly complex. On the palate, it’s supple, with the charm of a ripe Merlot, 13.8% alcohol which is rare, lots of charm, yet the Cabernet is fresh and lingering, with a fine length supported by a clearly present Cabernet. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.

Medium purple. A fairly intense bouquet that clearly reflects its terroir, with notes of wild berries and dark chocolate. Fresh, fruity attack. The aromatic character is a little shy at first but opens up with aeration. The palate is also marked by freshness and has a refined, well-defined structure. Well-integrated tannins, showing through on the finish. A wine that deserves a bit of cellaring.

Dark, intense, beautiful color. Lovely, pure, fruity, very aromatic nose. Silky palate with a slender body, developing into a flavorful, fruity expression, with a tasty finish and fine tannins. Very good length.