Château d’Armailhac 2016 (Pauillac, 5ème Grand Cru Classé) – A standout vintage hailed for its elegance and power. Vibrant and expressive, it bursts with layers of blackcurrant, blackberry, and dark chocolate, wrapped in silky tannins and a long, refined finish. Praised by critics for its balance, freshness, and depth, this wine captures the essence of Pauillac sophistication. A superb cellaring choice that will continue to evolve beautifully for decades.

Decanter | D 96
Published: Sep 14, 2022
Drink: 2030-2050

Such a vibrant pink/purple rim to this, loud, full, bright, shining, rich and confident. Tannic and firm, full bodied with supple tannins that have spiced edges full of clove, aniseed and liquorice lacing the blackcurrant fruit. It's youthful still - the benefits of the magnum - with lots of tension but feels so well worked with structure and depth. I love the restraint on show, it's clearly powerful yet there is supreme elegance. Stylish, full of life and of further potential. Don't drink this yet, hold on to it for at least another 5-10 years.

James Suckling | JS 95
Published: Jan 17, 2019

This is a really driven d’Armailhac showing blackcurrants and fruit tea with hints of bark on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, very firm and structured with a long and powerful finish. Direct and linear. Try after 2023.

The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Nov 30, 2018
Drink: 2021-2040

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 D'Armailhac opens with gregarious crème de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Jancis Robinson | JR 16
Published: Jan 23, 2020
Drink: 2023-2032

Tasted blind. First bottle: Spicy purple fruit on the nose. Quite pure and bone dry. With well-managed tannins. Uncompromising but pure in its intent. Second bottle had much more fruit in the middle. 

Chateau-darmailhac.com

Harvest: From 27 September to 14 October
Varietal mix: Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Merlot 28%, Cabernet Franc 8%, Petit Verdot 2%

Tasting notes
The wine is dark and deep with purple tints. The intense and complex nose exhales perfectly ripe fruit aromas followed with airing by succulent roast coffee and blackberry notes. From a full and dense attack, the mid-palate reveals elegant and well-rounded tannins which underpin liquorice flavours with hints of refined and elegant oak. The long and flavourful finish lingers on red fruit flavours and chocolate notes.

Climatic conditions
In 2016, there were two main trends in the weather as we experienced it in Pauillac:
- A very wet winter and spring: more than half of the annual rainfall came in the first four months of the year, including a record 240 mm in January;
- An extremely dry summer and autumn without any significant rainfall, resulting in a water deficit at the end of the year.
As a consequence of the summer drought, the grapes were numerous but remained rather small, making for density and concentration.
High temperatures in August and September allowed for slow ripening and excellent maturity, so that the harvest started with the Merlot on 26 September and continued in perfect conditions until 14 October.
In the vat house, each grape variety and each plot were, as usual, vinified separately in order to let their intrinsic character shine through.