Château Clerc Milon 2019

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.

''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.'' - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/07/2022) Ratings: 95, Drink: 2029-2055

''Just so much joy to be had here. Precision architecture from the first moment, velvet texture, well balanced, tiptoes through the palate and builds slowly, delivering inky glass-staining colour. Sweet and seductive, with plump damson and black cherry fruits, and waves of anniseed and fennel on the finish. As with the 2009 this it will close up soon, as these tannins have bite, so expect it to keep building and deepening over the next decade. Jean Emmanuel Danjoy's last full vintage, before he headed over to Mouton Rothschild in 2020. Harvest September 19 to October 9.'' - Jane Anson, Best Pomerol 2020 Wines Tasted En Primeur, (10/14/2022) Ratings: 95, Drink: 2029-2050

"The 2019 Clerc Milon is seriously impressive. Dense, plush and explosive, Clerc Milon delivers a captivating mix of inky, dense fruit intermingled with savory accents from the 72% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (the highest since 1986). Dried herbs, tobacco, menthol and licorice weave into the deep, resonant finish. Superb." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (02/28/2022), Ratings: 94

''Another beautiful effort from this team, the 2019 Château Clerc Milon is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, from vines just across the street from Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild. Brought up in a mix of new and used barrels, it has a healthy ruby/plum color to go with a great nose of ripe red and black fruits supported by some classic Pauillac lead pencil, tobacco, and spice box notes. I love its overall balance, it's medium-bodied, has silky tannins, and the fresher, elegant style of the vintage. I wouldn't call it mid-weight, but I compared this to the 2014 on release, and I still think that comparison holds, although there's a touch more length and intensity in the 2019. This will drink well today with a decant (I followed this bottle for two days) and will shine for a good two decades.'' Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2019 From Bottle (4/11/2022) Ratings: 93, Drink: 2022-2042