Château Clerc Milon 2023

72% Cabernet Sauvignon. Expressive, with fascinating Cabernet fruit and depth; dense on the palate, taut structure yet with silky texture, fine tannins, great length. Outstanding!

Strong intense nose, some herbal markers and blackcurrants. Gorgeous vibrant colour in the glass, vivid purple rim. Round and full – rich for the vintage, a lovely weight to the texture; yes, it’s straight and streamlined but it also has juicy, plummy fruit, acidity that isn’t too pronounced or overt, and tannins that grip and take hold. Clean and clear, perhaps not the longest of them all, but there’s an enjoyable lingering wet-stone, chalky minerality on the finish. Straight and well defined, this has some chew, which I also like, and with time in oak, this will expand. Lots on offer! 1.5% Carménère and 1% Petit Verdot complete the blend. 59% grand vin production. 68 IPT.

The 2023 Clerc Milon, which was bottled in June 2025, is based around the 72% Cabernet Sauvignon. This takes a few moments to really cohere on the nose, delivering quite intense black fruit laced with that leitmotif for the vintage, graphite and pencil shavings, rendering it more classical in style than recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with firm grip, a little more body than the d'Armailhac, very well balanced with real weight and depth on the sapid finish. Excellent.

Cedar, flowers, mint, and red currants with a hint of Indian spice create the bouquet. On the palate, the wine is fresh, silky, and refined, with pure red fruit and a touch of spice that lingers on the finish. While it will be delicious young, give it some time in the bottle, as it will improve with age. Harvest took place from September 7 to September 29. The blend is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Petit Verdot, and 1.5% Carmenere. 13.5% ABV, 3.83 pH. Drink from 2027 to 2050. 93–95 pts.

Dark garnet, purple reflections. Delicate notes of fine oak and nougat, fresh cherries, a hint of cassis, a very inviting bouquet. Juicy, balanced, fine ripeness, sweet plums, round tannins, good freshness, has length and certain ageing potential, a full-bodied food wine.

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Carménère, 1% Petit Verdot, 13.5% vol. Delicate bouquet with beguiling wild strawberries, violet and iris aromas, blackcurrant nectar and a noble cassis spice. On the juicy, linear palate with a silky texture, tightly knit tannins and vibrant breed, giving drive and length. In the concentrated, long finish: red berries, graphite and a glorious abundance of extract.

Score: 91–93. The nose is vibrant and penetrating, with notes of ripe cassis, raspberry and spices, and a lifted stony minerality. The palate is delicate and tender, supple and succulent, with lively acidity that carries through to the finish, along with caressing, inky-black tannins that leave a savoury sensation on the palate.

A lovely fruity nose, fresh and elegant, with brightness and a fine peppery/spicy edge. It reveals notes of blackberry, violet, and, more subtly, bright wild blackcurrant, joined by fine touches of bigarreau cherry, as well as delicate hints of infusion and tea, a subtle touch of Sichuan pepper, and a very discreet hint of almost aromatic herbs. The palate is beautifully mineral, fresh, elegant, gourmand, supported, precise, and offers an airy yet quite present feel with a lovely structure. It shows notes of bigarreau cherry, juicy/fresh small red berries and, more subtly, fresh blackcurrant, combined with touches of cornflower and wisteria, along with hints of racy minerality, fresh gravel, infusion, star anise, and a subtle touch of tonka bean, nutmeg, and toasted almond. A lovely slight chew on the finish/persistence. An imperceptible hint of almost fresh coffee in the background. Lovely freshness and smoothness/suppleness. A hint of roasting on the finish/persistence

Pauillac saw close-to-normal rainfall, with less mildew than other parts of the region, helping to usher in the excellent crop of wines found in the appellation in 2023. This joins the best of them with superb quality, and a real sense of excitement and drive. Expect brightness and tension in the blue and black fruits, with liquorice root, squid ink, salted cracker, white pepper spice and freshly cut herbs. Harvest ran from September 7 to 29, with 55% new oak barrels for ageing. Carmanère dating from 1947 is in this 1st wine, with massal selection descendants in Pastourelle. Caroline Artaud, director.

94-96. Barrel Sample. A spicy aroma and a rich blackberry texture give the wine its ripeness and also its elegance. Dense with a sense of power as well as style, the wine shows a fine Cabernet Sauvignon dominated style for this estate.