CHÂTEAU D'ARMAILHAC
2023 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
70 Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 Merlot, 13 Cabernet Franc, 2 Petit Verdot: 50% new oak for 18 months: 13.5% alc: 3.75 pH: Harvested 7 – 30 September The weather in Pauillac was not as challenging as some said. You only have to look at the beautiful Lafite Rothschild rainfall ‘artwork’ in this Report to see that it was not too pressured. In fact, only 15% more rainfall than average fell in June, so mildew was not too much of a problem, particularly if you could keep your vineyards ‘clean’. The heat spell in the third week of August assimilated some of the malic acid, and by early September, Merlot was ready to harvest. They started on the 7th but only brought in a few plots as most of the thicker sins needed more hang time. As it turned out, there was below-normal rainfall in September, and the 30mm that fell in the middle of the month reset the Merlots at 14.5-15% and stopped them ripening further instead of diluting flavours. By the morning of the 23rd, they had only picked 32% of the crop: Merlot, some Cabernet Franc, and some younger vine Cabernet Sauvignon. All the Cabernet was picked under high pressure, with decent daytime temperatures balanced by cool nights. Some delicious Merlot made the cut, but the blend is built around a superb Cabernet Sauvignon core; in fact, it is the joint highest Cabernet Sauvignon recipe alongside the 2002 vintage. All the old vine Cabernet Franc was used, so just taking the varietal mix into account, this is a fabulously Cabernet-dominant wine, and the tannins are as firm as you would expect. This modern classic has lithe flanks and a sleek feel throughout, topped with active acidity and integrated tannins. It is not as dark as the Mouton duo, with some lovely red fruited highlights, and there is a coolness and faint mintiness, which refreshes the taste buds and perks up the senses. As a postscript – I heard a great analysis of the critical human decisions made in September from Technical Director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy. He noted that if you had a well-drilled vineyard team, you could confidently roll the dice in September. There would be a severe threat of botrytis if the predicted 90mm fell mid-month. Even if 90mm did fall, great teams would have a small window to get in and harvest their crop. D’Armailhac (including Mouton and Clerc Milon) can move fast, so there was no panic at all. As it turned out, only 30mm fell, and as the fruit benefitted from a longer hang time, they trusted their vineyards and teams to let it all hang out! All the great-tasting fruit across these estates was harvested at the end of September, so skill, experience and confidence won through! Of course, Jean-Emmanuel hinted that these decisions depend on your psychology as much as your nerve, but he said it wouldn’t be fun without a bit of jeopardy thrown in for good measure, and this is why 2023 d’Armailhac is such an impactful wine. Rating: 18+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2024)
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
High Cabernet, as is the story of the vintage on the Left Bank. A wine that also continues the new story of Armailhac following serious investment in vineyards and cellar, and technical director Lucie Lauilhé. Bright and vivid from the first moment, layered cassis, crushed mint, liqourice root, crushed rocks, an excellently precise, structed and textured Armailhac. Love it. Harvest September 7 to 30. 80ha in production, 50% new oak barrels for ageing. Drinking range: 2030 - 2046 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
The 2023 d’Armailhac is a plump, juicy wine that very much captures the generous side of the year. Succulent red plum, spice, new leather, rose petal and pomegranate are nicely amplified. Armailhac can have a slight edginess in its tannin profile, but today, that is not especially evident. This is a very sexy, almost opulent d'Armailhac, despite having the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever in the blend. Drinking range: 2028 - 2043 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
The blend here is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The picking started on the 7th September, a common start date for many in Pauillac, finishing the 30th. A savoury nose, dark and smoked, with notes of toasted oak, moss and cigar box, over some dark and savoury fruits reminiscent of dried cherry and even a touch of cranberry. An appealing palate, showing a juicy and coherent start to the fruit, with undercurrents of rich and ripe tannin, with a finely knit and powdery substance, along with fresh acidity, giving it the lift that defines the 2023 vintage, with layers of perfumed berries and cherries laid over the top. Charming, tense, with acid freshness but good balance, and it is grippy, this culminating in a core balanced fruit, grip and acids. Tasted twice, as usual the sample tasted at Mouton was the superior. Tasted twice. The alcohol is about 13.5%. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
The 2023 d'Armailhac is an attractive effort, bursting with aromas of cherries, raspberries, licorice and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with a pretty core of fruit, sweet powdery tannins and lively acids, it's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot—which is a rather high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for this address. Rating: 92-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)
There’s a powdery and open texture to this red. Full-bodied and layered with a pretty and weightless texture. Blackcurrants and blueberries and an orange-peel undertone. Velvety texture at the end. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)
Château d'Armailhac
Château d’Armailhac, which has had more names than it has needed over the years (having been Château d’Armailhacq, Château Mouton-d’Armailhacq, Château Mouton-Baron-Philippe, Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe finally, Château d’Armailhac), was originally part of a larger Pauillac estate owned by the Marquis de Ségur. This was sold off in three lots, which became Château’s Pontet-Canet, d’Armailhac and Mouton-Rothschild. It came into common ownership with its famous neighbour to the north in 1933 when Baron Philippe de Rothschild bought the estate. There are 50ha under vine, which are planted to just under 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with roughly 20% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and a tiny amount of Petit Verdot. The wines spend around 16 months in barrique, about 30% new oak with rest being old barrels from Château Mouton Rothschild. The wines are, generally, softer than other wines from Pauillac or other wines in the Rothschild portfolio, but amongst the best value. The relatively high proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc make d’Armailhac a good bet in lesser vintages too.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.