2020 Chateau d'Armailhac Pauillac [JS95][D94][WS94][WA93][WE93][JD91+]

Producer: Chateau Lynch-Bages  
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 
Blend: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot 
Year: 2020 

James Suckling, 95 Points 

"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, 94 Points 

"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." 

Wine Spectator, 94 Points 

"Shows a core of lovely mulberry, cassis and plum reduction flavors that stretch out over a racy graphite note, in turn revealing flashes of anise, apple wood and sweet tobacco. Offers a late tug of warm earth, too. Rock-solid, with an old-school hint. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2038." 

Wine Advocate, 93 Points 

"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." 

Wine Enthusiast, 93 Points 

"Ripe and juicy fruits go along with intense background tannins, giving this wine richness as well as structure. Open and full of fruit, the wine still needs time. Drink the wine from 2026." 

Jeb Dunnuck, 91+ Points 

"The 2020 Château D'Armailhac is a blockbuster that's going to reward patience. Based on 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, its inky purple hue is followed by a deep, concentrated, mouth-filling Pauillac offering classic darker currant fruits, notes of graphite and lead pencil, building tannins, and outstanding length. This chewy, tannic, backward wine will need 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades." 

Alcohol: 13% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.