CHATEAU D'ARMAILHAC - 2002

Baron Philippe de Rothschild bought this estate in 1933 which was originally named after its owners, the d'Armailhac family. It is a Fifth Growth Bordeaux wine located in the commune of Pauillac, next to Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark fruit and floral nose with hints of toast. Purple-red in color with enormous tannins and acidity. Still very tight but the blackberry and cherry flavors are highly concentrated and accented by soft herb notes. Smooth, mouth drying tannins with a straightforward finish that becomes more harmonious as it reaches its end.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
I was craving Bordeaux so I reached for this Pauillac. This wine is simply too young to drink now with its overpowering acidity and tannins. I love drinking young Bordeaux but this one really needs more time in the bottle. I regretted opening this one. The saturation and concentration of fruit in this red are impressive, but it lacks all the classic earthy and complex characteristics that I look for from Bordeaux. It is slightly New World in its style. I also wished the wine evolved more in the glass. There were no twists and turns. The wine was a bit one-note for a $30 Pauillac.