D'Armailhac 2021 (750ML)

93 DE / 92 JS / 92 WA / 92 JA / 92 WCI / 91 JD / 91 FS / 90 AG / 90 VM / 16 JR

Succulent and softly supple, this has lots of energy and pace with bright red fruits, raspberries and cherries, alongside sweet spices and perfumed nuances. The acidity is so well judged it lifts the palate and delivers the individual elements with precision and poise, so you get a playful, friendly and upfront wine offering so much pleasure. I love the clarity here too, the sheer chalky and saline texture on the tongue; it feels clean and clear with a pristine quality. This will be a fabulous wine! 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.72pH. The first vintage to be vinified in the new winery which was completed just in time for the harvest. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

This fresh and vivid red has minerals and lead pencil with currants and berries. Some dried flowers. Medium body. Fine tannins and a lively finish. Crispy from bright acidity. Needs one or two years to soften slightly. - James Suckling

The 2021 d'Armailhac has turned out beautifully, bursting with attractive aromas of minty cassis and blackberries mingled with notions of pencil shavings and sweet pipe tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, ample and polished, it's supple and seamless, with a fleshy core of fruit and a licorice-inflected finish. En primeur, I compared this to a modern-day version of the estate's immensely charming 1999, and anyone who remembers the 1999 will find that the 2021 delivers just as wide a drinking window. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

First year with the new cellar at Armailhac, and a new technical director, as Lucie Lauilhé has replaced Jean-Paul Paultert, with Paultert retiring after 29 years in the post (Lauilhé was only present for harvest and blending, 2022 will be her first full year). There are big plans for this property, but in 2021 it is playing things a little safe, with juicy balance, delicate tannins, plenty of grip and precision to the raspberry and blackberry fruits, but a little soft on the finish. There is due to be a 2nd wine in the future, which will help with concentration, but the signature of 2021 is evident here. A little more Cabernet Franc, after poor fruit set with the Melrot. 3.73ph. 50% new oak, 60IPT. Tasted twice. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Black currants, espresso, flowers, chocolate, and cigar wrapper nuances pop in the nose. The palate carries on with the theme in the nose with its layers of soft, elegant, black and red currants, mint and cocoa. There is a touch of chalky dust that lingers in the fresh, finish. The wine blends 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2025-2045.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

The 2021 Château D'Armailhac is terrific and, like all the releases under the Mouton-Rothschild umbrella, it has terrific depth of fruit and impressive richness. Ripe cassis, smoky tobacco, graphite, and ample minerality all emerge from this medium-bodied, beautifully balanced 2021. It plays in the fresher style of the vintage yet has a great mid-palate, good concentration, and a great finish. It will shine with just 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise for 15+ years in cold cellars.-Jeb Dunnuck 

The 2021 d’Armailhac is very pretty, expressive wine driven by strong Cabernet Sauvignon inflections. Crushed flowers, herbs, mint, blood orange and earthy notes abound. It's a wine from a cold year, to be sure, but all the elements are very nicely balanced. There's terrific purity here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

The 2021 d'Armailhac, which was bottled mid-May, has an attractive nose with perfumed blackberry and blueberry fruit, the oak here seamlessly integrated—quite "Mouton" in style. A mini-Mouton perhaps? It becomes much plusher than the Clerc Milon after 10 minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and linear, with grainy tannins, a pronounced graphite element and a pliant, Merlot-driven finish, making it quite approachable in style. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media