2017 Ch D'Armailhac 5ème Cru, Pauillac

Opulent and powerful for d’Armailhac with blackcurrants, blackberries and black olives. Full-bodied, tannic and extremely muscular. Very well done indeed.

93-94 points jamessuckling.com

The 2017 d’Armailhac has an opulent bouquet despite this comprising one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon ever, which Philippe Dhalluin attributes to the maturity of the berries. There is some lovely cassis and blueberry fruit here with a smear of vanilla. The palate is structured with fine tannin, here the Cabernets are much more expressive with a fine bead of acidity, an attractive pencil lead tincture coming through towards the finish. This is a more floral d’Armailhac that will drink well for the next decades. [Readers should note that my sample included 60% new oak although the final blend will be 40%.] Tasted three times with consistent notes.

90-92 points Neal Martin vinous.com

The 2017 d'Armailhac is soft, open-knit and fruity, with plenty of luscious fruit and considerable near-term appeal. Gentle contours, silky tannins and lifted aromatics add to the wine's appeal. Because of the late-season rains and their negative effect on Merlot, the 2017 has the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (68%) since records exist, with the exception of the 2002. "After the frost, which did not really affect us, the major challenge in 2017 was heat stress," Mouton Technical Director Philippe Dhalluin told me. "We had no rain until the end of June. Then, in September, when we needed a bit of rain again, we got more than double what would have been optimal. The September rain affected the Merlot and Cabernet Franc, while the Cabernet Sauvignon was able to take advantage of the last 15 days of the growing season, which were much more favorable. In the cellar, we opted for longer macerations at lower temperatures, as we wanted to avoid extracting the type of hard tannins that mark other vintages with very dry summers, such as 2011

87-90 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com