Varietal mix
64%
Cabernet Sauvignon
20%
Merlot
15%
Cabernet Franc
1%
Petit Verdot
Harvest
Tasting notes
2006 was a classic vintage, producing a beautifully coloured wine, deep red with a ruby tint, fresh in style and with a well-defined, solid structure.
The powerful nose displays a subtle mix of ripe red fruit mingled with perfectly integrated oak expressed in toast and vanilla notes.
Château d'Armailhac 2006 shows good construction on the palate, with a clean attack that leads into a body of good depth and considerable refinement. The tannins are silky, the overall impression one of great class, with attractive fruit set off by subtle oak, building to a long and elegant finish.
Weather conditions
2006 was a year of surprises, marked by unusual conditions that will remain in the memory.
Generally speaking the weather was hot and dry, with much higher temperatures than the seasonal average in June, July and September. Such untypical conditions at key times during the vine growth cycle had a far-reaching and beneficial effect on the future quality of the crop.
Heavy rain at the end of the winter was followed by a long spell of warm and dry weather in April, May and June, enabling the vegetation cycle to catch up after a relatively late start. Flowering took place early and evenly, starting in late May. Veraison likewise began very early, mid-veraison occurring four days ahead of the average, though very hot weather in the second half of July slowed the process.
A total of 459 mm of rain fell between 1 January and 31 August 2006, compared with an average of 517 mm.
The grapes started to ripen slowly in the cooler temperatures of August but subsequently accelerated in the exceptional conditions of the first half of September, with heatwave temperatures in the early part of the month.
A period of high temperatures and humidity soon brought the Merlot to maturity and picking began on 20 September. The harvest lasted until 5 October in variable weather conditions, producing a crop of fully mature grapes in excellent condition.
Vintages
