Wine Advisor
D'Armailhac 1996
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is a successful and seductive wine. The saturated ruby color is followed by sweet, roasted herb, and black currant aromas with lush toasty oak notes. A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Franc, this medium-weight, elegant yet richly fruity wine possesses enough tannin to last two decades, but it will be one 1996 Medoc that will be drinkable at an early age. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2018.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1996 d'Armailhac is fully mature on the nose with dark plum, briary, cloves and quite a strong violet aroma. The palate is slightly aggressive on the entry with chalky tannin. The acidity is quite pronounced here, firm in the mouth, masculine for d'Armailhac with less flesh than other vintages, although there is decent freshness and spiciness towards the finish. You could drink this now but I might just afford it another 3-4 years to show its mettle. Tasted July 2016.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
An austere, Cabernet dominated, cedary nose. Touch of smoke. Still quite backward. Very good balanced on the tannic palate. High extraction, quite spicy but very good definition. Backward, broody but good potential. Very cedary finish. Tasted September 2006.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The dense ruby/purple-colored 1996 reveals evolved aromas of licorice, Asian spices, cassis, and subtle toasty oak. A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 30% Merlot, this medium-weight wine possesses a surprising lusciousness, atypical for this vintage. It provides a sweet mid-palate, and a velvety-textured, long, lush finish. It is a hedonistic, user-friendly Pauillac that should age nicely. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2015.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
D'Armailhac's 1996 possesses a dark ruby color, and a sweet, elegant, up-front nose of berry fruit and toasty oak. In the mouth, the wine is medium-bodied, pretty and stylish, but neither deep nor long. It will require early drinking, and should last for 10-12 years.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is an excellent 1996 with licorice, spice, fruits, nutmeg and currants. It's full to medium body, with very fine tannins and a long silky finish. It's drinking so well. Drink now.
About the Producer
The existence of Château d’Armailhac dates back to the late 17th century, as evidenced in a land register from 1680 which mentions the brothers Dominique and Guilhem Armailhacq, owners of parcels of land in Pauillac. Another land register from 1750 notes that their descendants have “planted with vines” the family estate, covering 15 to 16 hectares (37-39 acres). By the end of the 18th century the estate has grown to 52 hectares (128 acres) but the brokers of the time describe its wine as “disappointingly thin”. Throughout the following century, Mouton d’Armailhacq’s owners work unceasingly to improve its quality, using techniques such as topping-up, running-off, barrel disinfection and fining. Their efforts are rewarded in 1831, when the wines of Mouton d’Armailhacq sell for twice as much as their more highly reputed neighbours. The ultimate recompense, Château Mouton d’Armailhacq is given Fifth Growth status in the 1855 Classification – the same one which made Château Mouton Rothschild “First of the Seconds”. The “first wine”, the only one authorised to bear the growth’s name, is distinguished from the “second wine”, less rich and sold for consumption in local taverns. In 1931, the young Baron Philippe de Rothschild became a minority shareholder of the Société Anonyme du Domaine de Mouton d’Armailhacq, then in 1933 acquired all the shares from the Comte de Ferrand in return for a life annuity. A year later, on the Comte de Ferrand’s death, he became the effective owner of the estate. The Mouton d’Armailhacq portfolio included the Société Vinicole de Pauillac, forerunner of what is now Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA. Inseparable from Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Mouton d’Armailhacq houses all the technical and agricultural equipment for the two estates in its extensive outbuildings. From 1956 to 1988, the wine was called Mouton Baron Philippe, then Mouton Baronne Philippe. A Fifth Growth of acknowledged quality, its original identity as Château d’Armailhac was patly restored in 1989.
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Package Size
1 x 3L
