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The Fifth Growth That Punches Way Above Its Weight.

Picture this: you're sipping a wine that's literally next door to the legendary Château Mouton Rothschild, crafted by the same masterful hands that created one of Bordeaux's most coveted bottles. That's exactly what the 2016 Château d'Armailhac delivers – Rothschild magic without the eye-watering price tag.

This isn't just any Pauillac. This is the wine that comes from some of the oldest vines in all of Bordeaux, with nearly 20% of the vineyard dating back to 1890. These ancient Cabernet Franc vines have witnessed over 130 years of winemaking excellence, and their concentrated fruit delivers complexity that simply cannot be replicated. You're tasting pure liquid heritage.

What makes this bottle absolutely irresistible is its rebellious streak. While its famous neighbor commands astronomical prices, d'Armailhac delivers that same Rothschild pedigree, that same meticulous attention to detail, and that same "holy grail of terroir" – all wrapped up in a package that won't break the bank!

The château itself tells a story that's pure Bordeaux drama. Half-finished since 1830 because the original family ran out of money mid-construction, it stands today as a beautifully incomplete monument to ambitious dreams and stubborn tradition. Just like the wine – it's perfectly imperfect, authentically genuine, and utterly captivating.

Every sip reveals layers upon layers of complexity. The 53% Cabernet Sauvignon brings power and structure that'll make your taste buds stand at attention, while the 36.6% Merlot adds a velvet smoothness that'll have you melting into your chair. The Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot dance in the background, adding those mysterious flavor notes that keep you coming back for more.

When wine lovers talk about "insider secrets" and "hidden gems," this is exactly what they mean. The 2016 d'Armailhac is your golden ticket to experiencing Fifth Growth Pauillac excellence without the Fifth Growth price tag anxiety. It's approachable yet sophisticated, familiar yet surprising, classic yet contemporary.

2016 was en epic year for the Left Bank in Bordeaux. Vinous Media awarded this year with a 98 point review and said, "The 2016s are absolutely remarkable wines. The word that comes to mind, unfortunately so often overused, is balance. The best 2016s are absolutely harmonious, with the tannins barely perceptible at all. The 2016s also have tremendous energy and bright, acid-driven profiles, with many wines playing more in the red-fruit area of the flavor spectrum."

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. A full-bodied, elegant wine with a deep garnet-purple color and intense, complex aromas. It features notes of black fruit, cassis, and kirsch, with hints of licorice, clove oil, and earthiness. The palate offers bright acidity, ripe tannins, and flavors of blackberry pie, mulberries, and chocolate. A modern Pauillac with a classic structure, it is known for its depth, texture, and long, flavorful finish with notes of red fruit and chocolate

Dark ruby, opaque core, discreet brightening on the rim. Inviting sweet, black fruit on the nose with pleasant spicy nuances, some cassis and tobacco. Juicy, ripe cherries, fine, integrated tannins, pronounced fruit on the finish with good freshness and balance, an elegant food wine which will develop well over time and keep for many years. ~94 Falstaff

Very pure and classic nose with floral notes and violet, brimming of ripe dark berries with a mild spiciness. Very dense palate with a positively austere backbone, a healthy freshness underneath and a very long, pure and dense finish ~94 Andreas Larsson Tasted

The nose is fruity, elegant and offers concentration/richness. It reveals notes of fleshy blackberry, crushed cassis and more slightly gravels/ terroir associated with small touches of wild strawberry/wild berries, ripe plum as well as hints of spices, oak/cocoa and a very discreet hint of pepper. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers beautiful juiciness, freshness, a beautiful acidulous frame, suavity, a good structurer , a very fine tension, gourmandize, a fine unctuosity , minerality as well as fat. On the palate this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, fleshy cassis and more slightly plum and ripe/fleshy red berries associated with small touches of juicy small fruits as well as discreet hints of juicy blueberry, tonka bean, cocoa and spices. Tannins are fine, well-built and structuring. Good length. There is a very fine hint of caramelization on the persistence. ~94 VertdeVin

There's fairly high acidity on the attack here, and yet it's well balanced by a body that's richer and deeper than in many years of Armailhac. You can definitely feel the texture and the powerful depth of brambly fruit, and there are also some of the signature lilting floral notes, given extra charge through graphite, liquorice, cassis, and that pulsating acidity. Great quality. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend.  ~93 Decanter

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. ~93 Wine Advocate

The 2016 d’Armailhac, which was bottled in May 2018, has an elegant bouquet that unfolds in the glass, offering blackberries, briar and a touch of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with dense tannin, grippy in the mouth, and quite voluminous, with perhaps more density on the solid, almost broad-shouldered finish compared to the Clerc-Milon. This fulfills all my expectations from my barrel tasting and is quite simply one of the best d’Armailhac wines ever made. ~93 Vinous Media

This juicy red sports dark plum, fig and boysenberry fruit backed by an equally strong wave of bramble and sweet tobacco notes. The cast-iron spine pins down the finish, so give this a little time to integrate fully.  ~93 Wine Spectator

This is a ripe wine, full of black fruits with attractive tannins. It has depth but the wine is more about fruitiness and relatively quick development. Drink this already delicious, lightly spicy wine from 2022.  ~90 Wine Enthusiast

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