Château d’Armailhac

Classified as one of eighteen Fifth Growths in the 1855 Classification, Chateau d’Armailhac has been owned and run by the family of Baron Philippe de Rothschild since the 1930’s. It is a 70-hectare estate in the northern part of Pauillac with beautifully deep gravel soils – perfect for growing Cabernet vines.

History of the Estate

Chateau d’Armailhac was originally named after the two brothers who owned the plot of land in Pauillac in 1680, with a descendant then taking the opportunity to plant the land with vines during the ‘planting frenzy’ that swept through the Medoc in the mid-1700’s. The vines were spread over a sizeable 16-hectare plot at this time.

By 1830, the estates ‘first wine’ was distinguished from the ‘second wine’, but crippling debt forced the estate to be sold to Lafite in 1844. In the 1855 classification, Chateau Mouton d’Armailhac was classified as a Fifth Growth, but the devastating effects of the First World War, the arrival of Phylloxera, and overproduction lead to wines being auctioned or sold off cheaply.

In 1934, a young Baron Philippe de Rothschild acquired the estate, and by 1955 it was renamed Mouton Baron Philippe. It wasn’t until his death in 1989 that his daughter reinstated the original name, Chateau d’Armailhac.

The Terroir

Spread over 70 hectares in the northern part of Pauillac, the deep gravelly soils of Chateau d’Armailhac offer the perfect terroir for Cabernet grapes. With a clay-limestone subsoil, the wines exude refinement and elegance. The vineyards are planted to typical Medoc varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), Merlot (36%), Cabernet Franc (10%), and Petit Verdot (2%). The average age of the vineyard is 46 years, however 20% of d’Armailhac’s vines were planted in 1890, enabling the production of some truly outstanding and complex wines.

The same team that monitors Mouton Rothschild is involved in the decisions regarding harvest, vinification and bottling – everything on this estate is carried out by the top specialists, and the resulting wines reflect this.

The Wines

‘The epitome of contained power’ – the most recent vintage (2022) of Chateau d’Armailhac, the estates first and only wine, boasts great freshness and remarkable length. Full of black fruit intertwined with chocolate, pepper, and spice, as well as more floral notes from the proportion of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Fleshy and rich with perfectly constructed tannins and delicate flavours.