Winemaker Notes
Ruby red with a crimson hue, the wine reveals an attractively intense nose dominated by bilberry and raspberry notes accompanied by subtle blackcurrant bud aromas and a touch of peppermint. An overall impression of harmony is accentuated by a sensation of freshness as red fruit aromas mingle with a delicate tracery of floral notes. Bracing and arrow-straight, it displays bright energy on the palate before unfurling an elegant, smoothly-textured body that retains a silky mouthfeel. Great refinement and precision accompanied by a touch of salinity leave a lingering impression of elegance and purity.
Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc
This wine does not include the blanket 10% tariff imposed in April 2025. When the wines are shippable in fall of 2027, customers will have the option to pay any tariff in place at the time or to keep their wines stored in a temperature-controlled facility free of charge in France.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fragrant, floral nose with fresh red cherries, berries and touches of cocoa powder and graphite. Bright and poised, this has medium body, vibrant acidity and an expressive finish. No sweetness. Juicier and more classic this year, though not as concentrated. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 14% merlot and 14% cabernet franc.
Barrel Sample: 93-94 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2024 Château D'Armailhac is rock solid, with a juicy, elegant, very perfumed style that doesn't lack for depth or richness. Ripe red and black fruits, violets, spring flowers, and a kiss of spicy oak all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a pure, elegant mouthfeel and ripe, polished tannins. It's clearly an outstanding wine that brings more texture and mid-palate fat than most. The 2024 is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc that's resting in 50% new oak, hitting 12.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.69.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Decanter
Floral and fruity, smells quite tangy - nicely scented though, really perfumed. Zingy, really alive and focussed in the glass. Almost sour but stays the right side of too tart with lift and focus. Not as much weight as some but the tannins are really fine and this has a menthol and mineral element. Vibrant and vivid. Focussed and streamlined in one single straight line with tension and a mineral bite. Light but elegant with a lifted finish. Ageing 50% new barrels, 18 months. 3.69pH.
Barrel Sample: 92 -
Vinous
The 2024 d'Armailhac is a very beautiful wine. Dark, layered and intensely aromatic, the 2024 is so expressive. The percentage of Cabernet Franc from 60+ year-old vines is high in this vintage, and that very much comes through in the wine's perfume and saline intensity. All the elements are so well integrated. Dark red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and new leather explode on the finish. Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 90-92
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.