Wine Advisor
Clerc Milon 2003
View analysis
Description
A wine with considerable ageing potential made in the traditional Médoc way, Château Clerc Milon is the result of a particularly successful marriage between gravel and clay-limestone terroirs and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Powerful, tannic, full-bodied and rich in fruit, it also has all the typical elegance of the finest Pauillac wines.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2003 has a typical ’03 bouquet where there is a sense of some dead fruit. It is there, but it is not animated. The palate is sweet and sensual on the liquorice-tinged entry. There is more cohesion and freshness than many of its peers with a delightful balsamic tinged finish. This is very fine for the vintage, even if the bottle in London a couple of weeks before showed even better. Drink now-2020. Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Like many other Pauillacs it’s lacking some aromatics at this early stage. There is a hint of undergrowth and stalk. The palate is very tannic with good grip and copious amounts of peppery black fruit. Very pure, suave with fine smoky fruits on the finish. Gets better on the palate. Good potential. Excellent. Tasted again after bottling at the UGC in October 2005. Again, the aromatics are nothing to write home about: a touch of cranberry and cassis peeking their heads out with a touch of cigar box. The palate has fine density, a firm grip with some peppery black fruits on the robust mid-palate. Lush blackberry on the long finish - very good length. A perennially underrated wine, this would be an assiduous buy in this vintage.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
An opulent, raisin-tinged nose that is relatively backward, dense yet pure with well integrated new oak. The palate is plush, very pure with firm, sinewy tannins and excellent fruit concentration, with notes of blackcurrant, blueberry and a touch of vanilla. A solid, classy wine. Drink 2009-2015. Tasted January 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Dense black/ruby-colored to the rim, this blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Carmenere (that’s right!) offers exotic aromas of smoke, barbecue spices, blackberries, roasted coffee, and chocolate. Deep, chewy, thick, and juicy, this unctuously-textured, well-endowed, full-bodied northern Medoc should drink well young, yet keep for 15-20 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr Vintner’s Left Bank tasting. This is rather introverted on the nose: cedar, smoke and broody dark fruit with cigar box aromas developing. The palate has a touch of piquancy on the entry, notes of dark cherry, spice, tobacco and cedar, leading to a ripe, generous finish, though lacking some persistency. Tasted January 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A similar blend to the 2002 (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot), this wine boasts a big, deep purple color and a powerful, sweet nose of caramel, plums, licorice, espresso, scorched earth, and black fruits. Texturally mouthfilling, full-bodied, and opulent, it is intense and deep, with plenty of tannin in the finish. This could be one of the finest Clerc-Milons in recent memory if it all comes together as well as my instincts suggest it will. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's "10-Year On" tasting in London. The Clerc-Milon '03 is very different to the d'Armailhac '03, perhaps crisper and more classic, with cedar and autumnal leaves. It coalesces nicely in the glass and is actually very attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp acidity and a commendable sense of focus. I appreciate the classicism of this Clerc-Milon, a sense of reserve on the finish, which is in stark contrast to the more flamboyant d'Armailhac. This is just lovely - perhaps a hidden gem of the vintage? Tasted March 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2003 is surprisingly fresh and crisp, displaying no signs of the vintage’s extreme heat. This full-bodied, powerful, rich, backward, dense, tannic effort reveals notes of Chinese black tea, creme de cassis, licorice, and melted chocolate. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring, and drink it over the next two decades.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2003 Clerc Milon has a little more delineation than the d'Armailhac: boot leather, sous-bois, clove and a touch of iodine. The palate is less bretty than the d'Armailhac. It's soft on the entry, with grainy tannins, but the fruit is missing some freshness and brightness on the finish, which does not attract you back for another sip. Difficult to see where this is going. Tasted at the château.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Slightly cooked fruit on the nose, with a toasted oak and meaty character. Full bodied, with round and chewy tannins and loads of fruit. Big and burly, I like it. Pull the cork after 2015. Find the wine
About the Producer
A legendary terroir, prestigious neighbours, a providential encounter: the history and the success of Château Clerc Milon are summed up in these three words. The terroir is that of Pauillac, where some of the world’s finest wines are made. The neighbours are Mouton and Lafite, illustrious First Growths whose nearby vines can be seen from the terrace of the Château. The encounter was with Baron Philippe, who in 1970 acquired the then badly neglected estate and decided to restore it to its status as a Classified Growth. Now, thanks to Baroness Philippine, Clerc Milon, one of the most highly regarded châteaux in the Bordeaux region, can boast technical facilities and reception areas worthy of its reputation.
1949(2)1995(2)1996(2)1998(2)1999(1)2000(5)2001(4)
Package Size
