TN: 1999 Château d'Armailhac (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)

WINE TALK
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  • 1999 Château d’Armailhac - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (3/8/2021)
    Cellared since release, half hour decant, dark red plum slight brick rim color…GORGEOUS nose of dusty Pauillac spice, leather, dried tobacco leaves, menthol, smoked cherry wood. Somewhat thin and dry in the mouth…initially a silk smoothness pleasing texture…but the dryness and spicy tannins take over showing some bitter pucker…yet there is still a quite pleasing “Bordeaux”-ness to the wine with its cherry/plum, wild raspberry, and currant fruits…old leather, house of a pipe smoker, walnut oil, menthol tobacco leaves, pencil cedar spice. Yeah it’s a little thin and medium bodied…yeah fruit drying out and no profound complexities…yet these wines(as well as the Clerc Milon) give me SO much satisfaction from their price point back in the day…and some of the first Bord wines I consumed and cellared…and have enjoyed them immensely over the years…my “comfort food” Bordeaux! Will be sad to not see them in my cellar when they are all gone. (92 pts.)

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I really like this vintage of d’Armailhac. I bought a case and, sadly, it is all gone. This is the wine i gifted to my buddy Ian, and now he’s a Francophile! MarcF and I had another bottle 3-4 weeks ago, delish! This vintage threw more Bordeaux funk than probably any other vintage I have had of this wine since some of the 1980s vintages.

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I kinda like it

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Yes, that was wine Alfert gave me that started me down the rabbit hole. Now, just like Alfert, I search out wines that smell like an outhouse in Loire.

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Yes Ian…If you like outhouses you will love this wine

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I remember years ago, Robert telling me the '99 had too much funk for him…say whaaat?..no worries, just let Funk Master Frontario handle this.

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I think I paid $22 per from Costco back in the day! [worship.gif]

I do remember some having more funky Brett to it…especially the 2000.
I like the funk too Marc!
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Come one boys, d’Alfert likes the funk, I’m like the Tone Loc of Bordeaux drinkers, but some of these definitely had the Brett bloom going on! Lol.

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Guitar guy on CellarTracker LOVES this wine! [wink.gif]

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Buzz…It’s my favorite vintage for this Chateau… By the way killer deal you scored from Costco.

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Hmmmm, maybe that’s why he gave me that vintage back then? He could not handle the funk.

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It’s been years since I’ve had this wine, and I totally forgot about the “funk” controversy until you guys brought it up! This bottle was clean as a whistle…no funk at all…just a very pleasing old leather note. Was SO fun to watch this guy keep drinking these and complaining about the brett…thank God he finally ran out of bottles!

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Broke my heart when he told me this…Total Fail :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:…best D’armailhac vintage ever…jmho​:blush:

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Lol, I was unloading my “shit” wine. So busted!!!


Haha, I kid. Love this vintage of d’Armaihac. But come on, some bottles are, well, a bit poopy.

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I know this wine - last tasted in October, and your description is rather on spot …
but “Somewhat thin and dry in the mouth…” - and 92 points do not match for me,
I wouldn´t give this wine more than 88 points - it´s good but not outstanding.
(… imho one reason for score inflation)

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This part describes my consistent experience with d’Armailhac and the reason why I never bothered getting any even when it was cheaper than the current $50+ price. Too many wines available with “Bordeaux-ness” plus some actual fruit and depth. I wouldn’t give it 92 points but I guess 92 is the new 89 newhere