The 2021 d'Armailhac has turned out beautifully, bursting with attractive aromas of minty cassis and blackberries mingled with notions of pencil shavings and sweet pipe tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, ample and polished, it's supple and seamless, with a fleshy core of fruit and a licorice-inflected finish. En primeur, I compared this to a modern-day version of the estate's immensely charming 1999, and anyone who remembers the 1999 will find that the 2021 delivers just as wide a drinking window.

Reminiscent of a modern-day version of this estate's delicious 1999, the 2021 d'Armailhac is a terrific wine bursting with aromas of wild berries, cherries, exotic spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, it's fleshy and enveloping, with melting tannins and an ample core of sweet, succulent fruit. This is a pleasure-bent wine that will offer a broad drinking window.
William Kelley, April 2022

The 2021 d'Armailhac, aged in 50% new oak, is the first vintage to be vinified in the new winery, which was completed a month before the harvest. It has quite a strict bouquet, tight and focused, with broody dark berry fruit, pencil box and tar, quite classic in style. The palate is harmonious and smooth with fine tannins, just the right amount of acidity and a sapid finish that lingers in the mouth. Residual graphite notes linger after the wine has exited. Very fine. (13.0% alcohol)

The 2021 d'Armailhac is elegant and lithe in feel. Bright floral and savory notes lend freshness throughout a core of red berry fruit. In this tasting, Armailhac comes across as a bit vegetal, with slightly angular contours that hopefully will resolve with élevage. This is the first vintage made in the château's new cellar. Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022

With new winemaker directrice Lucie Lauilhé at the helm of a new facility, this wine marks the first chapter in d’Armailhac’s next thriller. Small tweaks were made in 2021, with the same percentage of oak used but more sensitive toasting levels employed, and this relaxation in spiciness balances nicely with quieter fruit and a more sensual wine overall. This is a silky, not velvety, wine, and the Cabernet Franc adds lovely perfume as well as crisp acidity to the finish. It is clear that this is a thoughtful creation, and with lovely length and a palate that is, according to Estates Manager Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, growing every day, this is an impressive wine for d’Armailhac.
May 2022

Tasted blind. Mid crimson. Pale rim. Very light nose. Fruit rather low-key, too. Not too austere or green and with some drive but not top-drawer. Though the finish is neat. Sweet and a little simple – but perhaps simplicity is good in 2021? (JR)

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Mid ruby. Evocative meaty tones on the nose mix with a hint of red fruit. Crunchy, lithe and linear, the wood props up the mid palate but there is a slight dilution on the finish due to the acid profile. (TP)