Chateau D’Armailhac 5eme Cru 1998

Parker: A blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc and 36% Merlot, the 1998 D'Armailhac is medium garnet-brick in color with gorgeous spice cake, incense and dusty soil notes over a core of kirsch, blackberry pie and preserved plums with a waft of potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied, soft, spicy and with lovely freshness, plenty of mid-palate fruit and a long and exotic finish. This is fresher than the Clerc Milon. 90/100

Galloni: The 1998 d’Armailhac has quite an intense bouquet with ample blackberry, raspberry and crushed violet aromas, the floral element becoming more pronounced as it opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip on the entry. I admire the freshness and tension here - more red fruit towards the second half infused with orange zest and plenty of white pepper all the way through to the structured, tensile and sapid finish. Tasted at the château. 90/100