Château d’Armailhac Pauillac 1855 5ième Cru Mouton Baronne Philippe 1976

Tawny hue around the rim, crushed roses on the aromatics, touches of wax, honey, leather, smoked earth, undergrowth, marmite and soy, delicate and balanced. I would possibly place it a little older than 1976, but that is the 1970s for you, with few vintages that truly went the distance when you compare them to wines produced in the 1960s and 1980s. This is one to drink, although it has charm. No technical information in the archives, but we can assume it is high Cabernet Sauvignon, with a good amount of Cabernet Franc also (plantings were close to 80% between the two). As an aside, it’s also a real treat to taste an Armailhac under one of its former names (there were a number of them) – with this particular one a tribute to Baronne Pauline, Baron Philippe’s second wife, who died in this year. Raoul Blondin cellar master.