2022 Chateau Clerc Milon - Pauillac (750ml)
96 Points — Jeb Dunnuck & James Suckling. 95 Points — Wine Advocate. The finest Clerc Milon ever produced — in one of Bordeaux's greatest modern vintages.
Acquired by Baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1970 and elevated over decades of meticulous investment, Château Clerc Milon has quietly become one of the most exciting estates in Pauillac. The 2022 is its crowning achievement.
A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenère — the estate's clay-limestone terroir lends it a distinctive signature that sets it apart from its Rothschild siblings.
Jeb Dunnuck calls it the finest Clerc Milon he has ever tasted — deep purple-hued, with a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, spring flowers, spicy oak, and graphite. Full-bodied and concentrated, with a weightless mouthfeel and beautiful tannins. Needs a decade to hit prime time. The Wine Advocate echoes the praise, finding cherries, raspberries, plums, pencil shavings, and rose petals on the nose, with a layered, concentrated palate framed by fine chalky tannins and vibrant acidity.
The château itself notes that bilberry and wild berry aromas combine with spice, pepper, and violet in a rich and complex array, the freshness of licorice and mineral notes in perfect balance with the controlled power of silky, well-integrated tannins.
Best from 2028. A collector's Pauillac at a Fifth Growth price.