The 2019 Château Clerc Milon is a powerful and refined Pauillac with a blend dominated by 72% Cabernet Sauvignon. It showcases aromas of blackcurrant, violets, and licorice, complemented by a hint of graphite. The palate is full-bodied with fine, creamy tannins, leading to a fresh, saline, and minty finish. While currently tight and focused, it will benefit from aging, with its complexity and structure promising great potential. A classic expression of Pauillac, this wine is set to evolve beautifully over the next few decades.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 96
Published: Jan 21, 2022

Aromas of crushed stone, blackcurrants and blackberries. Full-bodied with extremely well-crafted tannins that are chewy and layered, yet polished and fantastic. Love the finish. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 25% petit verdot, 22% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Drink after 2026.

The Wine Advocate | RP 95
Published: Apr 7, 2022
Drink: 2029-2055

The 2019 Clerc Milon is a real success. At more than 70%, this blend contains one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon in the property's recent history, and the result is a wine of real nobility. Offering up aromas of violets, wild berries, licorice, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with notable depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. From clay-limestone soils rather than the sandy gravels that characterize d'Armailhac, this is by some margin the more structured and serious of Mouton-Rothschild's two Pauillac stablemates.

Decanter | D 94
Published: Oct 31, 2023
Drink: 2027-2044

Harvested between 19 September and 9 October, the 2019 Clerc-Milon is a classic example of Pauillac with leafy, cool, blackcurrant-driven notes together with a pronounced lead-pencil/graphite edge. 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot compliment the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant (72%) blend. Tight and focussed on the palate with plenty of tannins evident at the moment, this will benefit from five years ageing. Less voluptuous than many 2019s but I like this elegant style.

Closure: Natural Cork
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 4% Cabernet Franc 72% Cabernet Sauvignon 22% Merlot

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 16
Published: Jan 18, 2023
Drink: 2026-2034

Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Low-key, saline fruit. Very gentle, without much definition or excitement, but with a distinctive green note.

Chateau-clerc-milon.com

One of Château Clerc Milon’s distinctive features is its blend, which combines five typical Bordeaux grape varieties in a true reflection of its vineyard: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. Each variety’s contribution is essential but must be in the right proportions to express the best of the estate, vintage after vintage.

Cabernet Sauvignon brings structure and complex aromas and flavours as well as great ageing potential.
Cabernet Franc brings freshness. Its proportion is another distinguishing feature of the wine.
Merlot complements the Cabernets with its full and smooth character as well as its velvety mouthfeel.
The rich and complex array of aromas and flavours is set off by the spice notes of Petit Verdot.
Carmenere gives the best of itself, bringing subtle notes of wilted rose petals and violet. Making up a small proportion of the blend, it is an essential part of Château Clerc Milon.

Vintage 2019

Climatic Conditions
The year started with a warmer- and drier-than-usual winter, with the temperature reaching a record 24.7° C on 27 February. The mild weather triggered an early start to the vine cycle, which gradually slowed with the arrival of a cooler spring and lower-than-average temperatures. As a result, flowering finally took place around the normal time.
After sharply contrasting conditions in June, when a late cold spell and heavy rainfall were followed by an early heatwave, very fine weather prevailed in July. The summer was particularly sunny and hot, leaving the vines in perfect condition on the eve of the harvest. A few welcome showers in July and August greatly helped to dispel any fears of dehydration.
Picking at Château Clerc Milon took place between 19 September and 9 October. Although a few drops of rain fell during the harvest, the conditions remained generally very good, guaranteeing grapes of outstanding quality.
Mirroring nature’s generosity in 2019, the wines are very rich, deeply coloured and with good alcohol content. Close-knit, satin-smooth tannins make this a very promising vintage.

Tasting Notes
The wine is a crimson-hued garnet red.
Elegant and refined, the nose exudes floral aromas, going on with airing to develop notes of blackcurrant and liquorice root.
The full and smooth attack reveals an alluring and complex array of flavours in which ripe fruit is magnificently set off by notes of toasted cereals and violet.
The mid-palate is underpinned by high-quality, close-knit and creamy tannins, leading into a saline and slightly minty finish which lingers on hints of chocolate.

Varietal mix 2019 Vintage
72%    Cabernet Sauvignon
22%    Merlot
4%    Cabernet Franc
2%    Petit Verdot