Wine Advisor
D'Armailhac 2006
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. I was expecting more from this d’Armailhac. It is taciturn on the nose, very austere compared to the pre-bottled sample with notes of blueberry, blackberry, cedar and pine. It has a relatively simple, sappy palate with rustic, slight red-berried fruit with a soft landing on the finish. Though this d’Armailhac is approachable, I do not think it is showing its best at the moment. Tasted January 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The dark ruby/purple-hued, mid-weight, elegant 2006 possesses sweet tannin as well as abundant concentration. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a dollop of Petit Verdot, it is an elegant, refreshing wine offering good purity as well as the potential to keep for 10-15 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Mouton Rothschild. Sample from two different bottles, the first a little blowsy and lacking vigour (86/100) but the second more representative. There is a tangible sandy element on the nose, quite tertiary although lacking a little definition. The palate is low-key on the entry, with a savoury note coming through. Some spicy black fruits, Morello and a touch of liquorish. Moderate length. A tad disjointed at the moment, but approachable and enjoyable if not profound. Tasted April 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This impressive Pauillac is performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel. Made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, it is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by a bouquet of grilled meats, subtle herbs, coffee, black currants, and a hint of camphor. The sweetness of the tannins, full-bodied mouthfeel, and stunning length, all in gorgeous symmetry, suggest this is one of the finest d’Armailhacs yet made. Moreover, it is still reasonably priced by the standards of this region. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Mouton-Rothschild. There is obviously more intensity on the nose than the 2006 with bright blackberry, blueberry once more but with much more lift and vigour. It displays very good definition with fine minerality coming through. The palate has d’Armailhac’s typical rounded, almost sumptuous character, fleshy but certainly with good structure and depth with blackberry, sandalwood and tobacco towards the finish. Good length. Quite expressive although the structure suggests it needs 5-6 years in bottle. This has certainly improved since its barrel showing. Good show! Drink 2010-2018. Tasted September 2008.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright red-ruby. Raspberry, mocha and coffee aromas perked up by pepper, tobacco leaf and fresh herbs. Silky on entry, then suave and refined in the middle palate, with perfumed flavors of redcurrant, leather and peppery herbs. Finishes subtle and persistent, with fine-grained tannins. A very refined claret: this has turned out very well.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Red-ruby. Dusty aromas of medicinal dark fruits and flowers. Sweet, spicy and perfumed in the mouth, with currant fruit lifted by violet and complicated by a leathery note. Juicy but a bit youthfully tough, with the firm tannins currently cutting off the wine's fruit. With its sound acid/tannin spine, this will need at least five or six years of cellaring.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep ruby-red. Musky aromas of black cherry, espresso, flowers and vanillin oak. Firm and intensely flavored if youthfully lean, with currant and licorice flavors offering very good definition. Finishes juicy and suave, with late-arriving tannins and a note of chocolate.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château d'Armailhac has a feisty bouquet with tobacco and sage-infused red berry fruit that seem open for business, unlike some of the other 2006 Pauillac wines. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite supple tannin. There is good weight in the mouth with mint-infused blackberry fruit, fine structure with admirable precision on the finish. All it lacks is the persistence of some of its peers, yet it still constitutes a very fine Pauillac that I probably under-rated out of barrel. Tasted January 2016.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is shows lovely ripeness and roundness with pretty fruit and a rather creamy texture. Lead pencil and blackcurrants. Subtle yet flavorful finish. Touch of dryness at the end. Drink or hold.
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.
1964(2)1973(1)1978(1)1986(1)1987(1)1989(1)1995(2)1996(2)2000(4)2001(5)2002(1)2003(3)2004(2)2005(5)
Package Size
12 x 75cl
