2019 Ch D'Armailhac 5ème Cru, Pauillac

A polished, refined red with blueberries, blackberries and some dark chocolate and spice, such as cloves and black pepper. Full-bodied, round and ripe. Crisp and fresh at the end. Juicy and delicious already.

92-93 points  James Suckling jamessuckling.com June 3 2020

Thoroughly enjoyable Armailhac, with concentration immediately apparent on the nose, more so than in many vintages of this wine. There's a pleasing austerity to the tannins giving a confident but not overbearing structure with lovely juiciness on the finish. Of the three Pauillac estates in the Mouton stable, this has the youngest vines as an average age (although also some of the oldest vines in the whole of the Médoc, dating back to the 1890s) which sometimes holds it back from reaching full complexity of expression, but that is not something you'll be complaining about here. Instead you get a fresh core, silkily textured blackberry and cassis fruits with good balance. This is the last vintage made in the old facilities, as they are about to re-do the cellars. Harvest began around one week earlier than average, on September 18, spread out through to October 9. Petit Verdot 2% completes the blend. Tasted twice one week apart. Drinking Window 2028 - 2042

93 points Jane Anson decanter.com

The 2019 d'Armailhac was the last vintage made in the old winery that has since been demolished to make way for a new gravity-fed facility that will be equipped with 50 smaller vats tailored to the parcels in the vineyard. It will provide greater space that will permit longer élevage if desired. It is fascinating to juxtapose again its Clerc Milon stablemate. There is more amplitude on the nose, it is more forthright with blackberry, wild hedgerow, tobacco and a subtle leather aroma. It comes across less high-toned than previous vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and slightly more mid-palate depth/grip than the Clerc Milon. The crescendo here is wonderful, fanning out towards the finish with subtle black pepper, sage and mint notes. This is a delicious d'Armailhac in the making.

92-94 points Neal Martin vinous.com

The 2019 d'Armailhac is bright, punchy and full of character. The purity of the flavors is just striking. Sweet red cherry, white pepper, mint and citrus notes lend energy. In the glass, 2019 d'Armailhac sizzles with tension. If I didn't know this was from a warm year, I would never guess it. D'Armailhac is super classy in 2019. This is the last vintage made in the old cellars. Among other things, the new facility contains 50 fermentation tanks as opposed to the 22 in the current winery. The move towards smaller tanks and the ensuing precision that can be taken in the field is one of the major quality improvements in Bordeaux over the last generation. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens here.

89-91 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com