92pts Wine Enthusiast

Barrel sample. Balanced, open wine, full of ripe blackcurrant fruits. It has a fine, rich density which shows well alongside the acidity of a young wine. It finishes with delicious black fruits.

90pts Wine Advocate

Although unevolved, the fresh, medium-bodied 2008 d’Armailhac is a more elegant, delicate take on this vintage than some of the more concentrated wines from the Medoc and the right bank. Fresh cranberry, sweet cherry, and spicy notes are present in this wine. While it does not appear to be one of the stars of the vintage, it possesses brilliant delineation as well as an exceptionally pretty style somewhat reminiscent of the 1996 vintage. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This wine may put on weight and flesh out given its late malolactic fermentation and retarded harvest.