2016 Clerc Milon
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Tasting Notes
Very fresh in feel, with bright cassis and cherry fruit racing along an iron edge. Shows a good sleek feel through the finish and a light tug of earth at the very end. A vivacious and delicious wine in the making.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Clerc Milon is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere (the latter vinification intégrale, so that it includes 50% of the stems, and Philippe Dhalluin said he was pleased with the results). It has a very pure bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, a touch of cedar and ash in the background. It takes time to really unfold in the glass. The palate is adorable: svelte tannin, beautifully pitched acidity, great depth with a silky smooth finish that just caresses the mouth. There is a little tightness here compared to the more expressive 2016 d'Armailhac, but I have no doubt that it will turn into a top-flight Clerc-Milon.
An estate that has been making great leaps forward over recent years, and once again we have a gorgeous Clerc on our hands. This is extremely succulent, with aromatic complexity and a freshness that just bursts out of the glass. Things start off closed for the first minute or so, then the juice comes rushing through. The mid-palate is smooth and polished but also bursting with energy. This is quite clearly one of their best ever wines, ripped through with sweet cherry and wild blackberry fruit, tightened up by slate and cedar.
Refined and ultra-fine with a linear and polished character. Full-bodied, yet tight and racy. A classy and sophisticated young wine. Mar 2017, www.jamessuckling.com
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About the producer
Ch. Clerc Milon was purchased by Baron Philippe Rothschild in 1970. Today the 41-hectare vineyard, sandwiched between First Growths Ch. Lafite Rothschild and Ch. Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, is one of Bordeaux’s most impressive Fifth Growths