Château Clerc Milon 2020

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.

"Opulent damson and spiced chocolate, graphite, fresh acidities, crushed mint leaf and eucalputus, restrained but vibrant precision. This is well structured, extends outwards and upwards, showing chewy tannins with grip. Harvest September 9 to 29. New director Caroline Artaud arrived for the harvest in this year, and has overseen a hugely successful wine, 60% new oak." Jane Anson, Best Pauillac 2020 Wines Tasted En Primeur (11/29/2022) Rating: 95 Drink: 2028-2045

''Aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper, exotic spices and burning embers introduce the 2020 Clerc Milon, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered wine that's seamless, concentrated and refined, with lively acids and a long, saline, violet-inflected finish. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot, it's a terrific effort from this clay-limestone terroir that has benefited from so much investment in recent years.'' William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/06/2023) Ratings: 94+ Drink: 2027-2055

"The 2020 Château Clerc Milon brings another level of finesse and is a big step up over the Pastourelle. Kirsch, blackberries, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and a crushed stone-like sense of minerality give way to a full-bodied, nicely concentrated, tannic 2020 that's balanced and has terrific purity, followed by a great finish. A serious Pauillac, it warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will have 20-25+ years of overall prime drinking." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur - Part 1 (03/29/2023) Rating: 94 Drink: 2030-2055

"The 2020 Clerc Milon - a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot with just a splash of Carmenere - has a deep garnet-purple color, opening with notes of tar, unsmoked cigars, bouquet garni and graphite, giving way to a core of ripe black and red currants, boysenberries and tree bark, plus a touch of black olives. The medium-bodied palate delivers fantastic tension and impressively ripe, fine-grained tannins to support the crunchy, energetic black fruit flavors, finishing with a lively herbal lift." Lisa Perotti-Brown,  May 2021 Week 3: The Wine Advocate (05/20/2021) Rating: 92-94 Drink: 2025-2040

"The 2020 Clerc Milon is soft, fruity and supple. Inky red fruit, plum, lavender, rose petal and spice all meld together in the glass. The 2020 is not terribly complex, but it is open-knit, radiant, and incredibly appealing, even in the early going. I suspect it will offer quite a bit of pleasure right out of the gate. The proportion of Merlot is a bit higher in this year's blend, which no doubt contributes to the wine's appeal. Tasted two times." Antonio Galloni, Vinous (June 2021) Rating: 90-92