Winemaker Notes
"Abundant tannin in addition to a deep ruby/purple hue, superb purity, and a lovely texture are found in this delicious Pauillac. One of the finest d'Armailhacs I have ever tasted, it is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that achieved an amazing 13.3% natural alcohol.
Aromas of black currants, creamy oak, and earth emerge from this medium to full-bodied effort. It should be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will last for two decades or more."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
Barrel Sample: 90-93 Points
"Deep red-ruby. Currant, blueberry, leather, graphite and nutty oak on the nose. Silky-sweet and large-scaled for this wine, with perfectly integrated acidity and a deep minerality leavening the wine's volume. This boasts terrific volume and finishes with sweet tannins and excellent racy length. Getting better and better in barrel."
-International Wine Cellar 90-92
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
Located in the north of Pauillac, between Mouton and Pontet-Canet, this 123-acre estate is also part of G.F.A. Baronne Philippine de Rothschild. The aroma balances meaty fruit and mineral scents, and while the pungent red fruit is always there, the tannins seem to increase their intensity with air. They cover the pure black cherry flavor like a powerful skin, deep and plush with an iron-knuckle punch. The tannins don't go away, but their inner velvet eventually wins out. This has improved significantly since the en primeur tastings and will continue to evolve for ten to 15 years in the bottle.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This powerful, tannic, structured effort from Mouton-Rothschild's stable is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by an earthy nose dominated by black currants and toasty, smoky oak. Medium to full-bodied with relatively high tannin, decent acidity, and a fine finish, it should be at its best between 2014-2030.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A big, sweet, soft wine, with attractive ripe blackberry fruits. It’s lively, smoky and licorice flavored, with delicious fresh acidity to finish.
-
Wine Spectator
Exhibits blackberry, currant and licorice on the nose. Full and velvety, with plenty of good fruit. A balanced, fruity red. Best after 2012.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.