LES ARMES ROYALES | Saint-Emilion | 2014
merlot | cabernet franc | cabernet sauvignon
WineStatistics will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss one. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations. The logic is simple – the more we taste, the more we learn.
Today we are going to review another classic wine blend from the Bordeaux‘s famous Libournais region, also known as the ‘right bank’ – Saint-Emilion 2014 from Les Armes Royales. This wine is a blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon grape varieties, one of the most copied wine blending formula all over the world. The “right bank” is famous for its red clay soils, that produce bold and plummy red wines with a firm dominance of merlot variety in the blend. The most well-known and sought after sub-regions are Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, that generally produce moderately bold and supple wines, with softer, yet more refined tannins. Bordeaux in fact is a region that was a source of inspiration to many of today’s popular red wine blends, this is why we’ve decided to dig deeper into the region and find out how good those wine really are!
___________________________________________________________________________
Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Deep and noble garnet color, with elegant ruby hues towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with ripe black fruits flavours and savory notes: sour cherry, leather, blue plum, black cherry, overripe blackcurrant, blackberry, lolyberry, ripe black raspberry, black mulberry and almond. An instant later the nose is filled with delicate and elegant notes of thyme, nutmeg, white and black pepper, black tea, tobacco, roasted wood, neroli essential oil and some subtle hints of lavandine.
Gustatory
The wine is extra-dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and firm tannin. It feels bold, firm and ripe, with a nuanced tannic grip on the palate. This is a quite seedy, complex and well structured wine, as it tastes overripe, seedy and savory at the same time. The wine has a good overall balance between its fruity and earthy vectors.
Aftertaste
It has a long finish and an balanced, elegant and seedy aftertaste.
___________________________________________________________________________
This is definitely a great Wine of France and the overall rating says the same, with 91.9 points scored it is right there, among the best wines we’ve tasted so far. Please click on the chart icon on the left in order to get to the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines we’ve tasted to date.
Conclusion: this is a wine in its prime form – definitely ready to drink now, a wine that is about as noble as a red blend can get – nunced, rich, and elegant – a mix of savory flavours and overripe fruit! It has a fine tannic grip on the palate, with a quite textured character on the mouthfeel and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through. It has already developed into a genuine, fully mature wine blend, yet, it can stand another 2 to 3 years of bottle ageing without too much fuss. We would recommend to pass on the ageing and uncork it sooner rather than later, and if you are looking for a nice wine and food experience, simply pair it with spicy and sweet-sauce-based meat dishes, like for example a filet mignon with peach and mango cilantro sauce or a butter-roasted beef tenderloin with horseradish and caramelized onions. Salute!
WineStatistics tasting results:
LES ARMES ROYALES
Saint-Emilion | 2014
grape: | merlot | cabernet franc | cabernet sauvignon |
region: France | Saint-Emilion
overall rating: | 91.9 |
conclusion: great | a must try
___________________________________________________________________________
(c) The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. There are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a one-time donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a monthly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics is a non-profit community. We produce independent and highly detailed wine reviews.
By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we learn an important lesson about life – that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate things that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of art. It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.
In order to continue our work we need support from people like you. People who appreciate our contribution in spreading wine knowledge and raising wine awareness across the borders.
You may now support us by contributing with a yearly donation so that we can review even more wines.
WineStatistics 