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Decanter: Aromatic intensity, wild flowers, some chocolate and blackcurrant notes. Red cherries. Grippy and filling but soft, chalky and saline, a gorgeous weight on the palate with ripe bramble berries, cool blue fruit and lots of cola, liquorice and wet stones. Very transparent and hands off. A touch straight but lovely muscular edge without the heft. Juicy, fun, clean, pure. Balanced. Savoury. Great job controlling the extraction - tannins are there but this is sapid too. A little more serious and structured and perhaps overall elegant than Clerc. A 2% dash of Petit Verdot completes the blend."
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James Suckling: Very polished, with fine tannins that caress your palate while the fruit is ripe but al dente, with red currants, plums and peach undertones. Medium body. Refined and intense finish. 67% cabernet sauvignon, 21%, 10% cabernet franc, and 2% petit verdot."
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Falstaff: Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Reife Herzkirschen, Brombeerkonfit, floraler Touch, rotbeerig unterlegt, attraktives Bukett. Saftig, lebendig, frisch strukturiert, feine Extraktsüße, reife Tannine, elegant und gut anhaftend, ein vielseitiger Speisenbegleiter."
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Jane Anson: This delivers the classic character of a Left Bank wine with plenty of concentration and deep fruits. Rich plum on the nose, crayon and pumice stone, with sapid and supple blackcurrant and pomegranate fruits. Just the right level of austerity of a young Armailhac, and this is one of the few this year where I really do feel that squid ink that I love so much. Like 2023 this is a vintage that will benefit from its barrel maturation. 3.7 pH. Harvest September 9 to 20. 50% new oak. Lucie Lauilhé winemaker and director. A slow unroll. 3.7ph."
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Jeb Dunnuck: A classic, beautifully layered Pauillac that most likely ranks with some of the top vintages of this château, the 2025 Château D'Armailhac offers up loads of cassis, black raspberries, graphite, and spicy tobacco nuances on the nose. Based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot that will spend 18 months in 50% new French oak, it's full-bodied on the palate, with ripe, polished tannins, outstanding length, and a fresh, focused style that's hard to resist. It checks in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. I love its overall balance, and it should have a broad drinking window."
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Lisa Perrotti-Brown: Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 d'Armailhac comes bounding out with exuberant notes of black raspberries, fresh black currants, and mint tea, giving way to hints of pencil shavings and dried roses. The medium-bodied palate is very bright and elegantly styled with fine-grained tannins and a refreshing line, finishing with a minty lift. The blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. It has a pH of 3.7 and the alcohol is 13%."
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The Wine Cellar Insider: Spicy tobacco leaves, currants and floral aromas show well in the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is soft and supple, with lift, energy, and crispness to the sweet, red pit fruits and berries. The endnotes display a refreshing touch of mint, and tobacco. Allow it a year or two in the bottle, and it will reward your patience. The wine consists of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, 2%. 13% ABV, 3.70 pH. Harvesting took place on September 9 - September 20. Drink from 2029-2055."
