Château Duhart-Milon 2022
• Domaine: Château Duhart-Milon
• Appellation: Pauillac
• Classification: Fourth Growth, 4ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France
Château Duhart-Milon is the only Fourth Growth property in the Pauillac AOC. It is an estate that lovers of the First Growth, Château Lafite Rothschild, should know. Not only is it a mere 7-minute drive away from Château Lafite Rothschild, but the two are considered sister properties with the same winemaking team. Like Lafite, the estate is owned by part of the portfolio of Domains de Barons de Rothschild. Château Duhart-Milon is home to some truly phenomenal terroir of gravel, limestone, and clay. When asked why he purchased the property, the Baron put it very plainly: “It would have been nonsense to not acquire such a great neighboring vineyard.”
Château Duhart-Milon has a very interesting and circuitous history. The property was initially the Second Wine for Lafite Rothschild when the Marquis de Alexandre Segur, or “The Wine Prince,” was running Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Calon Segur. The Marquis saw the potential of Château Duhart-Milon, and in the 19th Century, the wines were already held in great esteem. It was considered a cru vineyard in the making. Château Duhart-Milon received part of its name from Sir Duhart, who was rumored to have been a pirate and gunrunner for King Louix XV. When he was done pillaging the high seas, he decided to retire in Pauillac in a little dwelling that was near the port. The dwelling was called the, “pirate’s house,” and was eventually torn down in the 1950s. Yet the building’s legacy still lives on – it’s on the label for the grand vin of Château Duhart-Milon.
Château Duhart-Milon was classified as a Fourth Growth in 1855, and then it was owned by the Castéja family. The Castéja family was very well known throughout Bordeaux, and they currently oversee the illustrious Château Trotte Vielle. Right before World War II, disaster seemed to stalk Château Duhart-Milon. Frosts ravaged its vineyards, it changed hands at least five times during the 1950s and 1960s, and out of the massive 110 hectares of land, only 17 hectares were left planted with vines by the time Baron Eric de Rothschild acquired the estate. The Rothschilds almost doubled the size of the vineyards at the property, restoring the Fourth Growth to its former glory.
Château Duhart-Milon is a rare estate, because it is one of the few properties in Pauillac without an actual château. Instead, it hosts vat rooms, barrel storage, and of course the stars of the show – the vines. The vineyards are planted with 76 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the vines are about 30 years old on average. Like its sister estate, Lafite, the barrels are all made on property by the same cooperage. Charles Chevalier is the director of winemaking, and each plot at Château Duhart-Milon is isolated and judged separately based on quality. The grapes are harvested and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. The wines of Château Duhart-Milon are powerful, like many Pauillacs. They require a bit of time for their aromas to unfold and younger vintages can be decanted if need be.
Tasting Notes
"The Grand Vin 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. It brings more richness as well as classic Pauillac character in its lead pencil, graphite, tobacco, and red and black fruit-driven aromatics. With gorgeous richness, a medium to full bodied mouthfeel, and a great finish, this utterly classic, seamless, balanced Pauillac should be snatched up by readers. It's going to give the 2009 a run for its money." - Jeb Dunnuck, (05/10/2023), Ratings: 94-96+
"The 2022 Duhart-Milon is a big, rich wine. Ample and expansive on the palate, it has so much to offer. Cabernet Sauvignon takes center stage as dark-toned fruit, graphite and expressive savory nuances open with aeration. Huge swaths of creamy tannins wrap it all together, building to a substantial, explosive finish. The 2022 is an impressive Duhart." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (01/28/2025), Ratings: 94
"Ripe fruit on the nose, cherries, blackcurrants and plums, fresh, open and inviting. Sleek and smooth, this is intense but juicy giving tannic strength, just shy of chewy but appealingly chalky and fleshy giving a mouthfilling texture while the stony, saline, spiced edge to the tannins and cool blueberry and mint give the freshness. The tannins stand out here, present and at the fore, but well textured, crushed velvet but juicy with high acidity and a sharpness that counters the clear power underneath. Ageing will incorporate 40% of new oak plus up to 15% of amphora based on current trials. Harvest 31 August to 28 September." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (05/25/2023), Ratings: 94
"Intense, stately, with ripe and spicy dark brambled fruit flavours, blackberry and cassis, balanced by grippy tannins, crushed rocks, slate and cigar, which add texture and moderation. The serious face of Duhart does well in the vintage, keeping an upright tannic backbone. New cellar at Duhart since 2020. Harvest August 31 to September 28, 3.8ph. Olivier Bonnau technical director. Duhart Milon vineyard is looking at lowering density of planting to guard against future hot vintages of this type." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, (04/17/2022), Ratings: 94, Drink: 2030-2047
"The 2022 Duhart-Milon underwent a short 15- to 18-day maceration and is raised in 50% new oak and the rest one-year-old barrels. It has a very graphite/mint-scented nose that is Pauillac through and through. The palate is fresh and vibrant with fine tannins. This is beautifully sculpted with a vibrant pencil lead-tinged finish reminiscent of Grand Puy Lacoste. The 2022 is a fabulous Duhart-Milon that should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. It's a Pauillac a bit like the late Steven Spurrier insofar that it's a Pauillac always conservatively dressed in a pin-striped suit, but that's the essence of Duhart." - Neal Martin, Vinous, (05/17/2023), Ratings: 93-95
LWIN | 1009482 |
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Stock Status | Pre-Arrival |
Appellation | Pauillac |
Vintage | 2022 |
Brand | Chateau Duhart-Milon |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |