Château d'Armailhac has a complicated history, not least because the owners were undecided as to which name to give the property. It was Dominique d'Armailhacq who created the estate, purchasing the land which lies between Mouton Rothschild to the north and Pontet Canet to the south early, in the 18th Century. Dominique expanded the vineyards, and his acquisitions included the buildings at Chateau Brane-Mouton. Clearly not one to let a marketing opportunity pass by, Dominique duly renamed his own estate Chateau Mouton-d'Armailhacq. The property continued to flourish until the estate was sold to Baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1933.

Baron Philippe changed the name of d'Armailhacq to Mouton-Baron-Philippe. By 1976 it was time for another name change. Philippe wanted to name it Chateau Baronne-Pauline, after his deceased wife, but permission was not granted. Philippe settled for Mouton-Baronne-Philippe, thereby simply changing the gender. The subsequent decision by Philippe's daughter, Philippine, who now heads the family business, to revert to Chateau d'Armailhac (dropping the 'q' at the end) was a most sensible one.

Area under vine : 50 Ha

Production : 220 000 bouteilles

Soil : Sols de graves profondes (gravelo-sableux)

Grape varieties : 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Ageing : 12 à 18 mois (25% de barriques neuves)