TN: 00 d'Armailhac [Pauillac]

[AKR]

00 d'Armailhac [Pauillac] Over two days, decanted. served cool. first bottle from a case I bought EP. 12.5% abv. A sliver of the Mouton style. Garnet with a little lightening at the edges. Probably about normal coloration for a teenage Bordeaux. Not overly chewy, more medium weight. Very popular, widely held wine, because of its production, quality, and friendly style. Cedar, smoke, vanilla, bandaids on the nose. Blackberries, coffee on the palate. Tastes better on day 2, still showing tannic grip. There is acidity on the initial sips. It's a likable popular wine, but I think well stored bottles still need to breathe. Good plummy flavors on the 30 second finish. It's a solid wine, especially when the initial price is considered. I think d'Armailhac is crazy overpriced nowadays (and I think its easy to find substitutes) so this is yet another estate where "what we have, is all we'll have" applies. Give this a B+ on my ledger. I wish I'd tried it earlier, but I don't have any particular qualms about how its developing. It should be fine for the rest of the decade I think.

[JimHow]

I recall Jal liking this early on. Myself I don't think I liked it as much. Sounds like it developed into a nice solid Pauillac. The 1989. 1990, 1996, and 2002 were beauties. The 1999 was especially nice I thought. You are right, though, it has gotten awfully pricey.

[Blanquito]

I recall Jal liking this early on. Myself I don't think I liked it as much.

Ha!

Paging Jal...

[AKR]

I liked the 99 too. I've liked most vintages but some of the older ones, once they went over the hill, weren't so good. Maybe these ones are a shade better/deeper. I'm trying to think if there are any under $50 Pauillac's left?

We had a 90 Cuvaison [Napa] the other night, which I liked more than this. Unf, that's another cabernet that's maybe 2x to 3x what it was once upon a time.

[Blanquito]

The 99 was so good on release. Maybe the best d'Armailhac I've had.

[AlexR]

I generally prefer Clerc Milon to d'Armailhac, but they can be pretty close in some vintages.

I have one bottle of the 2000 Armailhac in the cellar.
There's an anecdote there.
Two years ago, I went to visit the Georges Duboeuf wine tourism thing in the Beaujolais: http://www.hameauduvin.com/fr/
They have a very good boutique with wines from all over.
And there, in a wooden tub, at a knock-down price (Under 20 euros a bottle), was the 2000 d'Armailhac
You can be sure that I went for it!
I'd have bought more than one bottle, except that I already have lots of wine that needs drinking...

Alex R.

[AKR]

I've not had a Duboeuf in I'm thinking maybe a dozen plus years?

Beaujolais seems to have gone out of fashion at the retailers I frequent.

I was looking last night on my commute home - K&L has 60 wines from the Savoie/Jura and 18 from Beaujolais.

When did Jura get so trendy? I've liked the wines of Savoy for a long time, but that's a category we only buy a few every year, to have with a fondue pot or something.

[robertgoulet]

In the past year I have tasted the '99 D'armailhac twice....one was incredible the other just good.
The '00 once, a very nice showing
And an '01, not as robust as '00 of course but it contained all the nuances I look for in a classic Pauillac.

This is a great Chateau for the tariff, but nothing touches Sociando.

Sociando is a top notch Bordeaux for me...insane value

[AlexR]

Arv,

Beaujolais sank very low, and they were distilling the stuff.
But it is making a decided comeback.
The wines are better, Burgundy's so goddam expensive, and increasing numbers of Burgundians are moving in their to make wine.

Their dark ages are over.

Alex

[robertgoulet]

In the past year I have tasted the '99 D'armailhac twice....one was incredible the other just good.
The '00 once, a very nice showing
And an '01, not as robust as '00 of course but it contained all the nuances I look for in a classic Pauillac.

This is a great Chateau for the tariff, but nothing touches Sociando.

Sociando is a top notch Bordeaux for me...insane value

Pauillac??? Lol ....I meant it had some of those similar Pauillac characteristics
But in addition, I just love that green tobacco leaf aspect in these wines

[jal]

I recall Jal liking this early on. Myself I don't think I liked it as much.

Ha!

Paging Jal...

Hahaha,
Nope, I did not like that wine
http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... hac#p12389

[Blanquito]

It was now almost 6 years ago, but I didn't love the 2000 d'Armailhac either:
http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... hac#p13186

[AKR]

This example, despite a halfway soaked cork, was lovely

I had another bottle of the 00 d'Armailhac [Pauillac] over the last couple of days, while prepping holiday molds of madeira pate. I did not have high hopes, given middling bottles in recent years, and the overall sense these should have been consumed earlier. Upon opening, a halfway soaked cork seemed like it was confirming my misgivings, but happily, this bottle - from halfway through a case - turned out to be very fine. It sounds trite to say 'the wine richened up in the glass' but this example really did -- turning deeper, more flavorful a couple hours later. It has classic earth, scorch, and then cedar all the nose, with a lithe cranberry fruited palate. On the first day, this earned an A- in my ledger, but after 24 hours had returned to its more typical level. A happy holiday treat, but one I still think needs to be drunk up, even for those with a preference for secondary, tertiary flavors.

[JCNorthway]

Thanks for the note. I'm not surprised you experienced that it "richened up" with time in the glass. I have found that often happens with wines that have some age on them. Always a nice surprise when it happens.

[Comte Flaneur]

Didn’t someone say the 2014 d’Armailhac is really good? (I always struggle with the spelling of this estate)

[DavidG]

Didn’t someone say the 2014 d’Armailhac is really good? (I always struggle with the spelling of this estate)

Me too. Until I realized my arm would ail if hac(ked).

[JimHow]

Oh yes, 2014 d’Armailhac and Clerc Milon are stunning.

[Comte Flaneur]

Didn’t someone say the 2014 d’Armailhac is really good? (I always struggle with the spelling of this estate)

Me too. Until I realized my arm would ail if hac(ked).

I like that David

[Comte Flaneur]

Oh yes, 2014 d’Armailhac and Clerc Milon are stunning.

I bought six of the 14 Arm-ail-hac this morning…the Clerc Milon is 50% more expensive @ £66 per bottle ex tax vs £43 for the aah.

[JimHow]

We’ll done CF. I have two cases of each. I remember rating the Clerc Milon 97 points, I was at 94 I think for the d’Armhaillac.

[Comte Flaneur]

We’ll done CF. I have two cases of each. I remember rating the Clerc Milon 97 points, I was at 94 I think for the d’Armhaillac.

I went back and managed to snag one bottle of the 2014 Clerc Milon - they only had one left.

[JimHow]

Well done, the 2014 Clerk Milon is just a great old school lead pencil epitome of Pauillac, like the way they used to do it back in the '80s. I had like 30 bottles at one point and couldn't keep my hands off of them until I was down to my two cases, which are tucked down at the bottom of the pile to protect me from myself. Likewise with the d'Armailhac.

[JimHow]

Was just checking on wine searcher, wow, the price of 2014 Clerc Milon has really gone up.

[StBlGT]

Was just checking on wine searcher, wow, the price of 2014 Clerc Milon has really gone up.

Wow! You're right. I checked Wine Searcher now and every vintage is extremely high for this chateau. Any reasons why that you can think of? I mean, I do like this chateau, but for $130+? I'm not so sure...

[JimHow]

Well, there were of course my multiple 97 point ratings....

I mean, that's a lot higher than the 2014 Leoville Barton.
Then again, I just rated the Barton the other night....
I'm really struggling with whether I want to pull the trigger on another case of 2014 Barton at $89.
I mean, normally, that would be a very fair price. But when I think back to what we paid upon release, I may just have to stick with the 9 remaining bottles in my cellar.

[StBlGT]

That's definitely a fair price for LB in any vintage. The days of grabbing them at lower prices are most likely over...2021 may be the last.

[JimHow]

That's definitely a fair price for LB in any vintage. The days of grabbing them at lower prices are most likely over...2021 may be the last.

Agreed. Saratoga has it at $89 with free shipping. I think I'm going to hold off but that's a very fair price for 2014 Leoville Barton at this point.

[StBlGT]

I read your post earlier incorrect. I thought you were referring to critic scoring...not your own. Haha, I edited my post to correct it. However, I do think critic scores are out of control.

I remember your score did move the market. The 2014 La Conseillante definitely changed after the announcement last year!!! It's only a matter of time for the 2016 GPL.

Which Clerc Milon vintages did you really enjoy, Jim?

[JimHow]

Lol, I was only making fun of myself SB.

But you REALLY should have seen what we did to the market of 1989 Lynch Bages!

I checked cellartracker, most of the scoring for the 2014 Clerc Milon seems to be in the 91-92 point range, with my 96 and 97 point reviews as outliers.

I’ve always thought Clerc Milon was a solid Pauillac that was pretty true to the appellation, but not a wine that I’ve ever really gone after in quantity until I tried that 2014 vintage. What did we pay for the 2014 Clerc Milon, Gerry, I want to say we got it in the $35 range.

To me the greatness of 2014 Clerc Milon, kind of like the 2014 Barton, is in what it is NOT. It is not big and brooding, it’s not alcoholic, it’s not a big fruit bomb. Rather, it is medium bodied, light on its feet, restrained, a killer lead pencil Pauillac bouquet, it seems like there’s a lot of sediment in the bottles I’ve had, the tannins just perfectly smooth and ripe, but not “round,” it is crunchy, with a backbone that stays in the background while the elegance of the fruit seduces you. And oh that lead pencil and cassis is divine. A classic, classic Pauillac… Who’da thunk it was still possible in this day and age?

[StBlGT]

I'm in the same boat. I don't really seek out Clerc Milon, but I usually like it when I do have it.

That 2014 note of yours sounds right in my wheelhouse. I might pick one or two up just for the heck of it. It's higher than I would want to pay, but it sounds worth it. Plus, it's the holiday season...maybe a nice little gift to myself?

[Comte Flaneur]

Feb 1996 and Lynch 89 was £495 a case…them was the days

[JimHow]

You only live once, SB!

Ian, 1989 Lynch routinely goes for $495 a bottle these days. Sigh.

[robert goulet]

Man I'm tempted to pop the '99, this to me is the best D'armailhac I've ever had...I've had it 4 or 5 times, last yr I had one avg. experience, but I feel that was an anomaly.

[JimHow]

Yes the 1999 d'Armailhac was better than the 2000.
I agree, 1999 was one of the best ever. Although I really like the 2009, and 2014.

[JimHow]

d'Armailhac always brings back poignant memories, we were sipping the 1990 up in Eastport, Maine, overlooking Campobello Island, the most beautiful place on planet Earth, the night Diana was killed.