Château Clerc Milon 2009
• Domaine: Château Clerc Milon
• Appellation: Pauillac
• Classification: Fifth Growth, 5ème Grand Cru Classé
• Cépages/Grape Varietals: Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France
When the owner of Château Mouton Rothschild, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, acquired Château Clerc Milon in 1970, the property was in a tremendous state of disrepair. The Baron’s choice raised more than its fair share of eyebrows, considering he owned one of the créme de la créme estates in Pauillac - the First Growth Château Mouton Rothschild. People couldn’t help but wonder why one of the most prominent figures in wine would take interest in a dilapidated estate that was on the verge of fading into obscurity. This did not dissuade him as the Baron had grandiose plans for Château Clerc Milon. He described it as, “... a pretty estate that was in high quality terroir that was currently in poor condition.” It turns out, the Baron’s instincts were correct and he revitalized the property, restoring it to its former glory as a well-respected Fifth Growth.
Prior to the Baron’s acquisition of Château Clerc Milon, the history of this property is a bit of a muddled one. First records of the estate mention that Château Clerc Milon was neighbors with the more well-known property, Château Duhart Milon. Château Clerc Milon belonged to the Clerc family when it was classified in 1855, and this is how it receives its namesake. Before the Rothschilds acquired the property, the estate was parceled off and sold many times.
By 1970, there were only 10.5 hectares left of the estate and it was pretty much unknown outside of Pauillac. Once the Baron got involved, all this changed however, and he implemented his marketing prowess to change the trajectory of the estate. Anyone who is familiar with Château Mouton Rothschild will know that the estate is not only well known for its wines, but for its artistic labels. It would make sense that the Baron in his own typical, artistic fashion would change the label of the wine to feature dancing clowns traipsing around on precious stones. If one visits Château Mouton Rothschild and goes to the Wine Museum, they will see the label on display.
The labels weren’t the only thing the Baron changed about Château Clerc Milon. The Baron introduced a new, modern gravity flow winery – eliminating pump overs to soften the wines. Half of their cellars are now underground to keep cool. The grapes are now hand selected from 247 different parcels. Before vinification, the plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenere are farmed 50 percent organically on the property. Interestingly enough, Château Clerc Milon has one of the largest plantings of Carmenere in all of Bordeaux.
The wines from Château Clerc Milon do require a bit of time before being enjoyed – as one can expect with the best of Pauillacs. The wines possess a perfect balance of power and fruit. Château Clerc Milon tends to appreciate when purchased en primeur, increasing in value and critical acclaim as the years progress – especially in noteworthy vintages. They have plenty of charm and are considered a cult wine because of their loyal following.
Tasting Notes
"The 2009 Clerc Milon has great purity on the nose, almost Burgundy-like, with black cherries, cedar, fresh mint and pine cone aromas that gently unfold in the glass. The palate is extremely well balanced, with fine tannin—still a little tight and linear (unlike many 2009s)— but with a very persistent finish. Alongside the 2010, this is an extremely pleasurable, almost lascivious Clerc Milon that is one of the most sensual releases under winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. Tasted April 2017." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (6/30/2017, Issue 231), Ratings: 93, Drink: 2021-2040
''Touch of reduction at first, but as it opens this just sings with purity of cassis, bilberry, blackberry puree, liqourice root, chocolate drops, earth. Speaks with the same voice as the great early vintages of 1982, 1990 but with more precision, depth and clarity, a brilliant vintage that is tasting so good right now. A significant year in Clerc Milon's history also - Jean-Emmaneul Danjoy arived from Opus One, giving Clerc its own dedicated team for the first time, and the new cellar was officially unveiled, meaning it was possible to separately vinify the Petit Verdot and Carmanère, that had been co-fermented until this point. The second wine Pastourelle de Clerc Milon was also introduced this year, further increasing selection. Harvest September 23 to 13 October, 50% new oak.'' Jane Anson, Best Pomerol 2020 Wines Tasted En Primeur, (10/14/2022) Ratings: 95 Drink: 2022-2040
''Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Clerc Milon gives up notes of blueberry compote, blackcurrant preserves and prunes with hints of fried herbs, fertile loam and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, firm and taut with a grainy texture and seamless freshness, it has a good core of earth-laced black fruit and an understated finish.'' Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (3/14/2019) Ratings: 91 Drink: 2019-2035
LWIN | 1008212 |
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Stock Status | Out of Stock |
Appellation | Pauillac |
Vintage | 2009 |
Brand | Château Clerc Milon |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |