2020 Duhart Milon Rothschild
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Tasting notes
Domaines Barons de Rothschild has made significant investment in a new winery for Ch. Duhart-Milon and, if the 2020 is anything to go by, it was worth the expense. The uplifting fragrant yet classic nose of vanilla, menthol, cassis and graphite minerality screams Pauillac. There is a lovely finesse to the tannins – detailed, very fine and matched by a lovely juiciness on the mid-palate. It is so much plusher than normal, but very Lafite-like in its restraint. There is mouth-watering acidity too. This is excellent, medium-bodied classic Bordeaux with a long finish. This really is a step up for the estate, with a new level of elegance to the palate.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Restrained and sombre at first, but carefully constructed, with a rippling muscular texture, full of firm tannins with bright acidities underneath. Like the precision and the slightly austere cool blue fruits, pencil lead and liquorice root. Elegant, precise, feels very Pauillac in its density combined with fine tannins that have life and lift on the finish. Harvest September 9 to 29. First vintage in the new cellar.
Lots of tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil notes define the 2020 Château Duhart-Milon. Medium to full-bodied, it has a beautifully balanced mouthfeel, loads of blue and black fruits, and ripe yet certainly present tannins. Its relatively plush, rounded style is not too dissimilar from the 2016, but it offers ample structure as well. The blend is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot, and it hit 13% natural alcohol. This is another classic, concentrated, impressive wine from this team.
The 2020 Duhart-Milon has a delightful, elegant bouquet, an almost equal mixture of red and black fruit laced with sous-bois, cigar box and touches of curry leaf in the background. It is a little timid at first, but it seemed to grow over the 90 minutes I observed this wine. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a slightly fleshier Duhart-Milon compared to the obdurate, tannic wines of yore. It is gentle in some ways, revealing elegant brambly red fruit mixed with cedar and mint on the finish. Fine, although I would have liked just a tad more grip and heft.
About the producer
Ch. Duhart-Milon is a leading Pauillac estate owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild, alongside Ch. Lafite Rothschild. It benefits from the same winemaking expertise and has seen significant investment in recent years.