2019 | Château d'Armailhac | Pauillac | France

A Fifth-Growth Pauillac from the Mouton Rothschild stable — 93 points, and the finest d'Armailhac in years.

Château d'Armailhac is an 1855 Classified Growth in northern Pauillac, owned by the Rothschild family of Mouton. Its 70 hectares sit on deep gravel over clay-limestone — the terroir that gives d'Armailhac its signature refinement. The 2019 is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and was the last vintage made in the old winery before it was replaced by a new gravity-fed facility. Wine Advocate and Vinous both awarded 93 points.

A classified Pauillac from the Mouton stable is serious left-bank Bordeaux. Fifth Growth, Rothschild-owned, Cabernet-led, 93 points → fleshy, perfumed, polished → you're drinking classic Pauillac.

• 62% Cabernet Sauvignon · 27% Merlot · 9% Cabernet Franc · 2% Petit Verdot
• Pauillac — Bordeaux, France
• Château d'Armailhac — 5th Growth (Rothschild)
• Deep gravel over clay-limestone · 93 pts Wine Advocate & Vinous

Blackberry, small black cherry, iodine and crushed violet over a faint hint of tobacco, with a medium to full-bodied, velvety and perfumed palate, an ample core of succulent fruit and beautifully polished, powdery tannins. Translation: a fleshy, perfumed Pauillac — dark fruit with violet and iodine lift over polished, powdery tannins. Elegant in the classic 2019 style, with real grip; give it a few years.

A classified-growth Pauillac. Exactly the bottle for lamb, ribeye, or the cellar — drinking well through 2050.