Château d'Armailhac 2015

Has kept its cheerfully fruity character while gaining depth, juicy and crisp, stylish.

A singed vanilla and alder frame keeps a medium-weight core of plum and black currant fruit coiled up while tobacco and violet details fill in. A pretty, fine-edged chalky spine holds the finish. Best from 2021 through 2031.

Berries and smoke with some wet-earth and leather undertones. Medium to full body, round and velvety tannins, and a juicy, delicious finish. Like the walnut and coffee undertone. Drink in 2020.

Tasted blind. Dark and glowing. Intriguing nose – hooray! Then very loose and soft. Where’s the famous Pauillac tannin? To be drunk sooner rather than later. Slightly drying finish. (JR)

The 2015 d'Armailhac is a very sexy wine. Pliant, open-knit and delicious, the 2015 is super-classy. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and floral notes are seamlessly woven together in a surprisingly finessed wine for this property. Gracious and racy to the core, d'Armailhac is quite attractive. Based on what I have tasted over the last few years, quality appears to be on the rise, and that is always great to see.

Soft, silky, forward and medium-bodied, there is verve, sweet fruit and lift. The wine remains focused on earthy nuances, dark red fruits, cassis, spice and licorice. You can age this for 7–10 years before popping a cork.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Intense black-berry fruit, nuances of blackberries, cassis and some cherry, a touch of wood and candied orange zest. Medium body, seems drinkable and somewhat soft, discreet sweetness at the core, already well developed and easy to drink, some nougat on the finish.

Made by the team at Mouton Rothschild, the 2015 Château D’Armailhac is a ripe, sexy 2015 that has plenty of power and depth in its cassis, lead pencil shaving, spice, and roasted herbs aromas and flavors. The 2015 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with roughly 30% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and it’s medium to full-bodied, balanced, nicely concentrated and should keep for two decades or more.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with violet highlights at the rim. Delicate bouquet of Damassine plums and cassis, very fresh and somehow playful. On the palate, gentle and juicy, well balanced, with a wonderful blue-to-black berry fruit expression. Its greatness lies in its finesse. Tasted twice.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with a violet sheen on the rim. Delicate bouquet of damson plums and cassis, very fresh and somewhat playful. On the palate, gentle and juicy, well balanced, with a wonderful blue-to-black berry fruit expression. Its greatness lies in its finesse. Tasted twice: once at Mouton and once at the Union des Grands Crus. (18/20). 18: Brightening purple-ruby, fine rim. Finely fruity bouquet, shows relatively slender on the attack for a 2015. Somehow it comes across as discreet. On the palate, it also currently feels only medium-weight; the acidity is not yet fully integrated, with a slight roughness through the mid-palate. The astringency shows fine muscle; one would wish for a bit more concentration and flesh. In terms of substance, the far more affordable Cantemerle actually pleased me more. For now, rather disappointing. (17/20).

(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot) Silky, sweet, fresh, fragrant bouquet; black berries, currants, licorice, dark tobacco. Plush, fruity, powerful palate with generous, sweet fruit, fine tannins, dark, intense aromatics, and a long, creamy finish. 18/20 2023 - 2036

This has a lovely deep ruby colour, with plenty of sappy energy in its tannic frame and reach, a little softer than some Pauillac 2015s at this stage. Refined, charming tannins, with layers of dark fruit and undergrowth that slowly steal up on you. Jean-Paul Voelert, technical director. Harvest from September 16 to October 5. 33% new oak – the last vintage before new oak rises to today’s 50%. A significant year in the Mouton stable, as Baroness Philippine died in August 2015.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot gives the 2015 d’Armailhac a deep garnet color. It strolls out with classic scents of cassis and baked cherries, followed by cedar chest, tobacco leaf, and spice box, with a waft of bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a good core of ripe black fruit flavors, supported by plush tannins, finishing with an earthy lift.

Deep colour, a very fine and expansive nose, a small caramelised touch, gentle fullness, very well vinified.

Purplish violet. Bouquet of good intensity, with a strong sense of terroir. Red-berry bouquet with a touch of cedar and graphite. Very classic. Intense attack. On the palate, the wine is marked by firmness, a phenomenon that had already bothered me during the en primeur tastings! Nevertheless, the structure holds steady and the aromatic character gains expression over the minutes. Time should smooth the edges. The structure and tannins are there, so it has ample reserves.

The nose is fresh, concentrated, and powerful. It reveals notes of ripe redcurrant, crisp wild strawberry, and fine hints of blackberry and blackcurrant, joined by touches of zan, licorice, menthol, as well as subtle/discreet nuances of flowers, cardamom, mocha, and spices. The palate is fruity, well-balanced, characterful, and elegant, offering a lovely tangy backbone, fleshiness, and precision. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, fresh raspberry, and fine redcurrant, combined with subtle touches of fleshy blueberry, fleshy/juicy cherry, tonka bean, chocolate, and toasted/caramelized oak, along with fine hints of coffee on the finish/persistence. The tannins are fine and very slightly firm. Good length. An imperceptible hint of almost saline minerality (terroir) appears on the finish.

This wine is definitely softening and taking on shape in the bottle. The juiciness is starting to appear, and you can see why this is the most easily approachable of the Mouton stable when young. Really enjoyable, delicately shaped, but with the Pauillac signature of menthol and slate. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

This wine is firm, almost classically Pauillac in its black currants and acidity. The tannins are present behind the bright fruit and crisp texture. This wine has a dry core that will need to soften. Drink from 2025.