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Chateau d’Armailhac is a well respected fifth growth of the 1855 classification located in the commune of Pauillac on the left bank of the Gironde river, Bordeaux. It is owned by the Baron de Phillipe Rothschild wine behemoth (owners of stablemate and immediate Pauillac first growth neighbor, Chateau Mouton Rothschild). The Chateau is named after Dominique d’Armailhacq who bought the estate between 1718 and 1740 from Nicolas Alexandre de Sequr (known then as Prince de Vignes – no relation!) and who named it Chateau Mouton d’ Armailhacq. Subsequently, after many changes of hands over the next 200 years, the 40 plus hectare property was acquired by Baron Phillipe de Rothschild in 1933 who later on changed the name to Chateau Mouton Baron Phillipe. In 1976 the Baron attemped unsuccessfully to change the name on the label to Mouton Baronne Pauline (to honor his late wife), so he changed the label again to Mouton Baronne Phillipe, adding the sub words ‘en hommage à Pauline’. However, after the Baron passed away in 1988, his daughter Phillipine reverted the label to Chateau d’Armailhac (dropping the q in the process).
The 2006 Chateau d’Armailhac is described by my interviewee Mr. Lebrouzet as a feminine vintage for the masculine wines of Pauillac. Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, I would suspect that the ‘feminine’ aspect is more due to the higher percentage of Merlot rather than the specific aspects of the 2006 vintage. The garnet colored wine has beautiful berry and tobacco leaf aromas with medium tannins, bright acidity and a well rounded red berry, cassis and cedar box notes. A nice effort, (POW 91).
For technical information please click on: www.bpdr.com
Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine
