Armailhac - Pauillac 2018

Vinous

92

byAntonio Gallonithe3/31/2021

The 2018 d'Armailhac is bright, fresh and so inviting, just as it was en primeur. Sweet red cherry fruit, cedar, spice, tobacco and anise add lovely aromatic complexity. All of the intensity of the year comes through nicely and yet the personality of Armailhac is evident also. I would cellar the 2018 for at least a few years, to allow some of the baby fat to melt away. There is a bit more breadth and richness that is the result of yields that were just 32 hectoliters per hectare as opposed to the more typical 42 or so. It was a vintage marked by heat stress, small berries and lower juice to skin ratio, as well as some parcels affected by mildew.

Wine Advocate

93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/31/2021

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 D’Armailhac (a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot) hits the ground running with wonderfully open-knit, flamboyant scents of Morello cherries, black raspberries, blackcurrant jelly and rose oil, leading to an undercurrent of cinnamon toast, aniseed and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energy and expressiveness, delivering red and black berry layers with loads of spicy sparks, framed by plush tannins, finishing long and fragrant. 93+

Jeb DUNNUCK

93

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/16/2021

Awesome notes of camphor, new leather, cedar pencil, chocolate, and cassis emerge from the 2018 Château D'Armailhac, a full-bodied, concentrated Pauillac that stays nicely focused on the palate, with firm yet ripe tannins, wonderful purity, and a great finish. In short, it's a classic Pauillac that needs 4-6 years of bottle age and should have two decades of prime drinking.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94

byJeff Levethe3/16/2021

The darkest vintage of d'Armailhac I have ever seen, from the first swirl and sniff, you know it's a new level for this chateau. On the nose you find smoke, tobacco leaf, blackberries, plums, wet earth and thyme. On the palate, the wine is lush, round and deep with layers of sweet, dark, ripe fruits, soft, round tannins, herbs, pepper, dark chocolate, spice and a blast of black and dark red fruits in the finish. Give this a decade in the cellar and it will really start strutting its stuff. The wine is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.

Vinous

91

byNeal Martinthe3/12/2021

The 2018 d’Armailhac has retained its alluring floral bouquet, delivering layers of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, crushed violet petals and background scents of marjoram and sage, all beautifully defined. The palate is perhaps just a little oakier than I recollect from barrel [I subsequently found out that this spent 17 months in barrel, longer than in the past] but still very well balanced, with a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and silky-smooth toward the finish, with a touch of graphite lingering on the aftertaste. It may merit a higher score with cellaring but I will remain prudent with my score... for now.

Wine Spectator

93

byJames Molesworththe2/1/2021

The core of ripe cassis, plum sauce and raspberry purée flavors have a succulent feel, while licorice snap, graphite and singed alder notes play along the edges. Nice glycerine feel through the focused and fine-grained finish. Tempting now, but time will bring more nuance. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2035. –JM

Falstaff

95

byPeter Moserthe1/29/2021

Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart tabakig, ein Hauch von Vanille, Cassis, dunkle Herzkirschen, Brombeeren, feine Kräuterwürze, kandierte Grapefruitzesten, zarte Minze. Saftig, dunkles Beerenkonfit, elegant und frisch strukturiert, reife, runde Tannine, Cassis auch im Abgang, dunkler Nougat, sehr gute Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial. (2020 – 2045)

Wine Spectator

93

byJames Molesworththe1/26/2021

The core of ripe cassis, plum sauce and raspberry purée flavors have a succulent feel, while licorice snap, graphite and singed alder notes play along the edges. Nice glycerine feel through the focused and fine-grained finish. Tempting now, but time will bring more nuance. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2035. — JM

Yvesbeck.wine

93

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Bouquet filigrane, complexe, aux notes florales avec une touche de café et de caramel. Belle expression fruitée. Caractère légèrement crémeux en bouche. Le vin est élégant, friand et parfaitement équilibré. Il sait bien cumuler finesse et pertinence grâce à des tannins précis dotés d'une belle finesse de grains. Un vin agréable que l'on pourra déjà approcher dans sa jeunesse, mais qui est également doté d'un bon potentiel.

Jamessuckling.com

95

byJames Sucklingthe1/19/2021

Complex aromas of blackcurrant, black olive, clove, oyster shell, pencil lead and tobacco. It’s full-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Concentrated and focused with a very long, spice and mineral finish. Fantastic bottle. Try from 2026.

Decanter.com

94

byJane Ansonthe1/12/2021

Vinous

91-93

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 d’Armailhac has a fragrant, floral bouquet of blackberry and boysenberry fruit infused with pressed iris flowers, the new oak (45%, which is higher than vintages six years ago) beautifully assimilated and allowing it to retain superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, a little more backbone and density than the 2017 tasted alongside, and conspicuous salinity toward the precise finish. This is a superb d’Armailhac in the making.

WeinWisser

17

byTjark Witzgallthe5/7/2019

Bettane & Desseauve

96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2019

Merveilleuse finesse. Longueur, délicatesse, classe. Le meilleur millésime du cru depuis bien longtemps…

Vinifera

90-92

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Nez sur des notes de framboise, de vanille, de fruits rouges. Entrée en bouche souple mais bien structurée. Evolution sur une structure douce avec une finale d'une belle intensité. Le tanin garde un soupçon de fermeté.

Wine Advocate

91-93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 D'Armailhac (14.5% alcohol) is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, harvested September 12 to October 3. Deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals a very fruity nose of crushed blackberries, warm black cherries and mulberries plus hints of potpourri, spice cake and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, the decadent palate delivers loads of black berry layers and a firm, grainy frame with underlying freshness and an earthy finish. Wonderfully opulent D’Armailhac!

Decanter.com

94

byJane Ansonthe4/17/2019

This is clearly one of the most concentrated d’Armailhacs that has been produced in recent decades owing to the extremely small and concentrated berries, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested at the end of the growing season. It’s also one of the best, with clear personality and power, and although still the least complex of the three Pauillacs in the Mouton stable, it should offer the best value giving a ton of rich fruit and cigar box frisson. 5% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. 3.7pH. Tasted several times – always with the same impression.

Wine Enthusiast

92-94

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2019

With over half Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a rich and juicy wine that is finely structured and shows a touch of integrated toasty spice. It shows a good balance of oak and fruit on the finish.

Jamessuckling.com

93-94

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

A soft and generous red with plum, tobacco and currant character and a delicious, full body and brightness. Juicy. Attractive, earthy aftertaste. Layered and dense.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

94

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/8/2019

Wine Spectator

91-94

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2019

Lively cassis and blackberry notes are liberally laced with briar, tobacco and smoky details. Reveals a serious chalky underpinning on the finish. A bit backward, but all the elements are here.