2015 Château D'Armailhac Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

ABOUT THIS WINE:

Cabernet Sauvignon 60%
Merlot 23%
Cabernet Franc 15%
Petit Verdot 2%

Cinquieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855. This wine was labeled as 'Chateau Mouton d’Armailhac' between 1750-1955, 'Château Mouton Baron Philippe' between 1956-1974, 'Château Mouton Baronne Philippe' between 1975-1988 and Château d’Armailhac since 1989.

Expert tasting note: "Almost opaque purple/ruby-red. Aromas are complex, combining meaty notes with mocha. The palate is exquisite with well-defined, open, ripe, red & black fruits & lively acidity. The mid-weight palate shows a lovely harmony of blackberry, cassis, cedar, chocolate & sweet spices. The fine-grained tannins are powerful but in combination with rich alcohol & concentrated fruit display a lovely suppleness. The long finish displays beautifully pure fruit flavours."

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER:

The vineyard of Château d’Armailhac, an 1855 Classified Growth under the name Mouton d’Armailhac, covers 70 hectares (172 acres) in the northern part of Pauillac. An extension of the Carruades de Mouton plateau, the Plateau des Levantines et de l’Obélisque, made up of light and very deep gravelly soil, is the preferred terroir of Cabernet grapes. The deep gravelly soil of the Plateau de Pibran rests on a clay-limestone base, giving the Château d’Armailhac wines their characteristic refinement and elegance. The light gravelly soil of the Croupe de Béhéré is up to three metres deep.

The vineyard is planted with traditional Médoc grape varieties (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot) on rootstocks best suited to the soil (mostly Riparia-Gloire). The average age of the vineyard is 46 years, but nearly 20% of the total surface area dates back to 1890. Plantation density is high at 10,000 vines per hectare: Château d’Armailhac preserves the old methods of ensuring quality.