Wine Advisor
Clerc Milon 2009
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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: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This fat, fleshy, dense purple-colored 2009 exhibits abundant notes of creme de cassis, roasted espresso, chocolate, berry fruit and underling hints of high quality, unsmoked cigar tobacco. Composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and a touch of Carmenere, it reveals plenty of structure and tannin, but the evolved aromatics offer a deceptive view that the wine will be drinkable early on. I do not think this is the case as the tannins kick in once it hits the palate. This seriously endowed, powerful, boisterous, muscular Pauillac should hit its prime between 2017 and 2035.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere (the first time since 2005.) 12.5% alcohol, a little higher than usual. This has a very lifted nose, very lively, this is a bouquet that wants to party, although it just lacks the refinement that I find in the d’Armailhac. Very minerally, real scents of crushed stones in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, silky smooth tannins, very good fruit intensity with black cherries, boysenberry, black plum and that minerality stretching long at the finish. Superb persistency. The wine is calming down in the glass. Very tight at the moment, it will hopefully blossom after its elevage. Tasted March 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Despite the fact there is 44% Merlot in this wine (blended with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere), this is a tannic, structured, backward Clerc Milon, which is atypical for this estate. Perhaps I just caught it at a time when the structure was dominating. It is a deep ruby/purple-hued, concentrated, impressively endowed effort that requires serious cellar age, 4-5 years minimum. It should last for 20-25 years. (Tasted two times.)
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Clerc Milon has an extraordinarily concentrated bouquet with layers of ripe black fruit, glycerine, anis and kirsch that soars from the glass. The palate is full-bodied with very ripe black fruit laced with tar and liquorice. It has good acidity as one would expect from Clerc Milon with great weight and persistency. It is a “monster” wine...although it does not have the same class as the following millesime. Drink 2016-2030. Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Clerc Milon has great purity on the nose, almost Burgundy-like, with black cherries, cedar, fresh mint and pine cone aromas that gently unfold in the glass. The palate is extremely well balanced, with fine tannin—still a little tight and linear (unlike many 2009s)— but with a very persistent finish. Alongside the 2010, this is an extremely pleasurable, almost lascivious Clerc Milon that is one of the most sensual releases under winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. Tasted April 2017.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London and later at Mouton-Rothschild. The Clerc Milon 2009 has a slightly reserved nose at first, taking time to open up, but fresh and lively and driven by the Merlot (44% of the blend.) I would like more expression of its terroir. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy, sappy tannins, quite “thick” in the mouth with a concentrated finish. It is a little brusque at the moment and does not quite contain the harmony of the d’Armailhac, but I am sure it will improve as there is certainly great length. Broody, introspective but fascinating. Long-term Clerc-Milon. Tasted November 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. A stellar performance from the Clerc-Milon ...this could this be the greatest vintage since the brilliant 1990 (which, lest we forget, put Mouton '90 in the shade.) The 2009 has a very intense nose of blackberry, graphite, orange sorbet and mineral that is beautifully defined, gaining in vigour as it aerates. The palate is full-bodied with ripe, robust tannins that underpin the multi-layered black, spicy fruit. This is more demonstrative than its peers and perhaps a touch more alcoholic towards the finish. Tasted January 2013.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, 1% carmenere and 1% petit verdot; ph 3.65; 13.5% alcohol; IPT 65) Ruby red. An enticing floral element adds lift to aromas of red berry cocktail, cinnamon and bay leaf. Enters juicy and fresh, with flavors similar to the aromas, offering good concentration and length but also a youthful austerity. The energetic finish features chewy tannins, considerable energy, and notes of menthol and coffee that speak of the carmenere, a variety that can make its presence even in minute doses. Barons Domaines de Rothschild's general manager and technical director Philippe Dhalluin told me that the '09 Clerc Milon is very Pauillac in style. I know that's a funny thing to say considering that it includes 44% merlot, but it has a rigid and massive quality that is very typical of Pauillac, said Dhalluin. My main goal with Clerc Milon is to try to civilize it more and more with each new vintage. One factor that will go a long way toward improving the already high quality of this wine is that, starting with the 2009 vintage, Clerc Milon now has its own director in charge of operations, Jean-Emanuel Darjoy, who works closely with Dhalluin on a day-to-day basis.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Clerc-Milon has more richness and depth than the d’Armailhac: black cherries, blueberry, cedar and touches of mint. This has a lot of generosity. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, fresh and harmonious with a persistent peppery finish that lingers in the mouth. This bottle is more representative than the one served blind at Farr's 2009 horizontal. Superb. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright red-ruby. Brooding aromas and flavors of cassis, licorice, minerals and earthy dark tobacco. Juicy, spicy and tightly wound; dense and powerful but with the elegance of the year. Seriously concentrated wine with enticing sweetness currently overshadowed by a serious spine of dusty tannins. This deep, long Pauillac calls for at least six to eight years of cellaring.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Clerc Milon gives up notes of blueberry compote, blackcurrant preserves and prunes with hints of fried herbs, fertile loam and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, firm and taut with a grainy texture and seamless freshness, it has a good core of earth-laced black fruit and an understated finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Clerc-Milon has a rather conservative bouquet that seems to have closed down in recent years, yet retains fine delineation with blackberry, wild hedgerow and subtle cassis, almost ink-like aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, surprisingly high in acidity given the vintage with a slightly muddled finish. I have encountered better bottles. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
What an amazing nose of lead pencil shavings and dark fruits. Stunning. Full bodied, with super silky tannins and an amazing depth of fruit. Polished and refined. Gorgeous. 50% Cabernet Sauivgnon, 44% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Carmaere. Best after 2017.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This wine shows aromas of licorice, raspberries and tar. Full body and very silky with dense tannins, yet the bright fruits soften the wine. So delicious and refined. Gorgeous now, but much better in 2018.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is very classic for the appellation with as much smoky and earthy character as ripe cassis. Good concentration and a stunning balance of ripe fruit, fine tannins and a long elegant finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)
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)2003(2)2004(2)2005(3)2006(8)2007(5)2008(10)
Package Size
12 x 75cl
