The Wine Advocate | RP 89-91
Published: Apr 26, 2012 

Tart acids give this dark ruby/purple-tinged wine a crunchy, fresh, lively feel on the palate. Composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, this medium-bodied 2011 reveals loads of finesse and purity, but is slightly superficial compared to recent vintages such as 2009 and 2010. It should drink well for 10-15 years. 
Drink Date: 2012 - 2027

lafite.com

The vintage
The weather conditions were somewhat unusual this year and required all of our technical teams' vigilance and expertise.
Spring and summer changed places: spring was exceptionally hot and dry, resulting in an acceleration of the growth cycle, and then the summer saw less sunshine than usual in July, and a wetter than average August.
Finally, just as we were getting ready to harvest, a huge hail storm in the north of Pauillac and Saint Estèphe on 1 September obliged us to reorganize the schedules. The plots that had been affected had to be picked first; fortunately, as a result of the conditions, the grapes had ripened early, and quality was not compromised.

Location
Pauillac is located on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, approximately 40km north of Bordeaux. With the tempering influence of the estuary and a great diversity of soils originating from both the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, Pauillac boasts exceptional climate and geological conditions for the production of outstanding wines.

Terroir
Château Duhart-Milon’s vineyard consists of a single block of vines adjacent to Château Lafite Rothschild, on the hillside to the west of the Carruades plateau. The property has 76 hectares of vines. The soil consists of fine gravel mixed with aeolian sand on a tertiary limestone.

Winemaking
Château Duhart-Milon is made according to traditional Bordeaux methods. The grapes are carefully sorted and placed in concrete or stainless-steel vats depending on their provenance for alcoholic fermentation. Gentle pumping over is carried out during fermentation to optimize extraction. Total maceration time is about 20 days before racking. Once the wines have undergone malolactic fermentation, they are transferred to French oak barrels made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac. Each barrel is tasted individually in December in order to determine which ones will be selected for the grand vin. Following this rigorous selection, the wine is blended and transferred to oak barrels (50% new).

Grapes
75 % Cabernet sauvignon
25 % Merlot

Tasting
Floral nose, typically Cabernet Sauvignon.
Notes of ripe black fruit. The palate is well-defined with good density.
Fresh, full-bodied finish.