The 2020 Château d'Armailhac is a rich, complex wine with aromas of black fruit, roasted coffee, and morello cherry. The palate is full-bodied with blackcurrant, liquorice, and fine tannins, finishing fresh and harmonious. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, it shows excellent balance and aging potential through 2045. Ideal conditions in 2020 led to an early harvest and exceptional quality.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 95
Published: May 14, 2023

Bright aromas of currants and raspberries, oranges, and roses. Peach skin. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy and velvety tannins. So much finesse and balance. It’s savory and slightly salty. 59% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. Drink after 2027.

Decanter | D 94
Published: Jan 02, 2023

Dried flowers, lots of pot pourri scents on the nose, very aromatic in a floral sense with some rich Cabernet blackcurrant flavours at the back. Smooth and lively, excellent acidity from the get go, this has a nice bounce and push but also a creaminess and a touch of spice so you're getting a lot of complexity in the mouth. A touch little rustic with clove, green pepper and cinnamon spice but I love the slightly textured grainy tannins and the freshness is there. Definitely learner than I was expecting, with a saline finish and wonderful crystalline aspect to the fruit. Clear, detailed, precise with a sense of classicism.

The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Apr 06, 2023
Drink: 2025-2045

The 2020 d'Armailhac is excellent, bursting with aromas of blackberries, violets, burning embers and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's broad but precise, with powdery tannins and a lively core of fruit. It's a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 16
Published: Feb 15, 2024
Drink: 2030-2045

Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Intensely oaky aroma of sweet spice. And overpoweringly oaky on the palate. Mouth-gripping tannins hide everything else. Fresh enough but the fruit is hidden. This was rated more highly by many in the group so I retasted it but still couldn’t get past those tannins.

Chateau-darmailhac.com

Harvest: From 10 to 29 September

Varietal mix
59% Cabernet Sauvignon
30% Merlot
8% Cabernet Franc
3% Petit Verdot

Tasting notes: 

The wine is a deep, crimson-hued red.
The full and expressive nose opens on black fruit aromas with refined touches of roasted coffee-bean. The bouquet becomes more intense with airing, revealing morello cherry aromas and more succulent notes of confectionery.
The rich and structured attack shows perfectly ripe fruit, while the packed and generous mid-palate combines blackcurrant and liquorice flavours, set off by abundant and remarkably well-constructed tannins.
Unfailing freshness underlines the long and harmonious finish.

Climatic conditions

A particularly mild winter and significantly higher than normal temperatures in early spring encouraged early budbreak, about ten days earlier than the long-term average. A snow flurry in late March fortunately had no effect on the vines.

Spring continued to be warmer than usual, with spells of heavy rain, especially in early May. Anticyclonic conditions returned in mid-May, bringing warm and dry weather and significantly accelerating the vegetation cycle, especially during flowering, which occurred 12 days earlier than the average.

Contrasting weather in June gave way to early-summer heatwaves and drought, especially noticeable in July. However, spells of rain in August set off the veraison process and helped the berries to ripen evenly.

The grapes were in perfect condition as picking started. The 2020 harvest was among the earliest on record, favoured by exceptional anticyclonic weather and rising temperatures which brought all grape varieties to full ripeness sooner than usual.

Picking at Château d’Armailhac took place between 10 and 29 September in ideal weather. The grapes were in perfect condition, producing beautifully balanced wines that are very full on the palate, underpinned by powerful yet seamless tannins and displaying great freshness.

Although yields were less than generous, the quality of the wines suggests that the 2020 vintage will be one of the great successes of the decade.