Château Clerc Milon 2018

Even after maturation, it shows a particularly successful balance: powerful and fruity, yet with a mineral edge; plenty of substance with plenty of class.

This releases a lovely stream of violet and cassis aromas and flavors that are sleek and pure in feel, picking up dark cherry, iron and sanguine details along the way. Refined and cellarworthy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Best from 2023 through 2035.

This is an extremely successful Clerc Milon in a run of great vintages at the property. Lovely purity, clear big tannins, and real poise and tension. Persistent, succulent, full of cassis, liquorice and crushed mint. Seriously impressive and will go the distance. Harvest from 17 September to 10 October. Blend completed by 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenère.

Blackcurrants, tobacco, graphite, cloves and dried leaves on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Structured and compact with a long, mineral finish. Tight and austere. Very pretty structure here. Wait until 2025.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenère; 50% new oak. Barrel sample. Very dark cherry colour. Beautifully aromatic – not just pure black fruit but tea leaf and a touch of floral. Silky and fresh, elegant in texture. Juicy and fresh on the finish and much more open than the Armailhac just tasted, the tannins not as thick. (JH)

The 2018 Clerc Milon has a nicely detailed bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, light cassis and iodine aromas gently unfurling from the glass, the new oak neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with graphite-infused black fruit. Quite a strict and linear Clerc Milon, it is classic Pauillac from start to finish. The pencil-lead-tinged, quite sinewy finish lingers wonderfully. Give this 3–4 years in bottle and then serve with a simple meat dish.

This is clearly a new level of quality for Clerc Milon. The wine opens with a touch of smoke, crushed rock, violets, crème de cassis and spice. Elegant, soft, refined and fresh, the fruit feels just great on your palate with the perfect amount of vibrancy, giving you lift and more than ample fruit offering you length. From a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% old vine Carmenere, the wine is 14.15%. Clearly, this is the best vintage ever produced at Clerc Milon!

Dark ruby with purple reflections. Already approachable. Savoury herbal, leather, and tobacco notes combine with ripe cherry and candied orange zest. Taut and tightly-knit, it shows fine berry fruit flavours, ripe, supporting tannins, and a mineral core. The saline finish echoes with ripe fruit and a hint of nougat. Good length and ageing potential (2025-2050).

From an estate located on the east side of highway D2 and between Château Lafite and Château Mouton Rothschild, the 2018 Château Clerc Milon is a ripe, sexy, full-bodied Pauillac that brings plenty of richness while still staying reasonably elegant. Blackcurrants, blackberries, smoked earth, new leather, and cedary herbs all flow to an impressively endowed, layered Pauillac with chewy tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak, this outstanding 2018 needs 4-6 years of bottle age to round into form and will evolve nicely for 20-25 years.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenère) Concentrated, dark, deep, fresh, finely mineral bouquet, black berries, cassis, licorice, dark tobacco, graphite, black pepper. Dense, powerful, multi-layered palate with velvety, dense, dark fruit, finely concentrated aromatics, an elegant, muscular, delicately creamy structure, lots of fine tannin, a very long, powerful, aromatic finish with many lingering flavors.

(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenère) Concentrated, dark, deep, fresh, finely mineral bouquet: black berries, cassis, licorice, dark tobacco, graphite, black pepper. Dense, powerful, multi-layered palate with velvety, compact, dark fruit, finely concentrated aromatics, an elegant, muscular, delicately creamy structure, lots of fine tannin, very long, powerful, aromatic finish with plenty of afterflavors. 19/20 2027 - 2050

Excellent quality, with abundant juice, slate tannins, plump black cherry, fig and blackberry fruit, ripe and rich in the character of the 2018 vintage but this is still a Pauillac with a firm voice. Eucalyptus, cocoa bean, turmeric, sage and liquorice add layers to the finish. Harvest September 17 to October 10. Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, technical director.

The 2018 Clerc Milon has a deep garnet-purple color. It delivers notes of stewed plums, boysenberry preserves, and cassis, with touches of cigar box and dried Provencal herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and muscular, featuring firm, ripe, grainy tannins and youthful black fruits, finishing long and earthy.

Powerful, glorious, with a touch of alcoholic warmth nonetheless.

The 2018, which we were able to taste, once again confirms its status as a great success for the cru, which, in addition to the fleshy fruit, brings fine tension and precision to the tannic framework. It will evolve very well, without a doubt.

Clerc Milon 2018 reveals itself shyly, cautiously, with nuances of cedar and black berries complemented by welcome menthol notes. Fruity on the attack, the wine combines breadth and precision. Its tannins, perfectly integrated, are smooth and fleshy, delivering both charm and vigor. A wine of good density, supported by its structure and a serene power. It clearly shows that it will require patience, while making it clear that the wait is well worth it.

This opulent wine is as bold with its fruit as with its tannins. The initial velvet texture masks the dense structure that will allow it to age impressively. Blackberry flavors, acidity and intense richness are coming together in a welter of ripe fruits. Drink from 2026.