TN: 2000 d'Armailhac Pauillac

[JCNorthway]

I've been reading some of our members' conduct of research of relatively young Bordeaux bottles, including a couple of 2000's. Given my sense that some feel the jury is out on that vintage, I took the opportunity tonight to pop a 2000 d'Armailhac. This is only the second bottle from my stash of 2000 Bordeaux, and given that we are at the 10 year plus mark, I was curious about what I would find. A small taste upon opening showed a relatively tight, closed wine. I let it sit open in the bottle while out for dinner. And upon returning to enjoy a glass, I found a changed wine. I get lots of Pauillac fruit and mineral flavors, major but forgiving tannins, and a lovely aromatic very Bordeaux nose. This is not a 95 point wine, but I think it is a solid 91-92. And I think it is only now approaching what it is likely to become as it really matures. I bought 6 bottles of this wine on release. Based on tasting it tonight, I wish I had bought at least a case, especially for the $27 I paid back then.

Curious to hear from others who have tasted this one recently.

[AlexR]

Hi Jon,

Thanks for sharing.

The core of my cellar consists of wines from the 2000 vintage (as I am not rich, usually one bottle per estate). And I'm not getting any younger.
So the development of this vintage is of great importance to me.

I have been opening medium-range Bordeaux from that year recently and have not had the impression of cradle snatching.
But I've not uncorked any great growths.
Which is why your tasting note is pretty useful to me.
I think what I'll do is count on opening my first wines of roughly equal status to the Armailhac in 2015/2016.

As for the biggies, that could very well be a different story... Even so, I'll probably pop these about 2020, come what may.

I am amazed by some of the posts on forums such as Wine Berserkers, where people routinely seem to taste 30-40 year old wines.
Makes you wonder how they do it!

Best regards,
Alex R.

[DavidG]

None of this wine in my cellar, but I am finding a lot of pleasure in lesser '00s while waiting for the bigger ones to mature. I don't know about my fellow jurors, but the only thing I'm ready to convict 2000 of is being a great vintage. Guilty as charged!

[JimHow]

I'm glad you liked the 2000 d'Armailhac Jon.
I consumed a whole case of it in the past year.
A couple bottles I liked. Most I thought were weak.
In the end, I was giving them away as gifts.

[johnz]

I too purchased this wine (on futures) and have tried it several times in the last year or two and found it very simple -- not bad but almost dull, and I really don't think it will improve. Many other low-end 2000s have been similarly forgetful. I can't make a judgment about the vintage based on this, but I can say that 2000 is not the same kind of vintage that say 1990 was -- when most low-end wines seemed quite superior at 10=12 years -- La Louviere for instance. I loved the '90 La Louviere, and the 2000 just isn't as fun to drink . . .

--Gary Rust