Chateau D’Armailhac, Pauillac, 2010

5th growth property Château d’Armailhac came under the ownership of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild family in the 1930s. The 73-hectare estate is managed alongside Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Clerc Milon. The vineyard is located in the in the northern part of Pauillac, and is made up of deep, gravelly soil favoured by Cabernet Sauvignon which is 63% of the vineyard area as well as 35% Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Some vines are said to be over 130 years old. “The 2010 D’Armailhac has a fabulous, opulent bouquet, with black cherries, boysenberry, almond and hints of cooked meat as it dabbles with secondary aromas. The palate is medium-bodied, with bold tannin, grippy in the mouth and immense weight. This is a very structured d’Armailhac, although it probably does not possess the finesse of the 2016, which I tasted alongside. There is great density here is tensile and bold, with a grippy finish. It is a long-term prospect.” Neal Martin.