Wine Advisor
Clerc Milon 2010
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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: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. The Clerc Milon 2010 has a very refined bouquet with blackcurrant, raspberry, mint and cedar, later tarry aromas developing in the glass. There is superb mineralite in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a ripe, sweet entry: powerful liquorice infused black fruit, quite sharp acidity and a spicy, very intense finish that lingers long in the mouth. It is almost impenetrable at the moment, but there is immense potential. Tasted January 2014.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The powerful 2010 is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and the balance mostly Merlot except for dollops of Petit Verdot and Carmenere that achieved 14.5% natural alcohol – a record at Clerc Milon. An intense purple color is followed by notes of incense, creme de cassis and flowers and a broad, rich wine with superb purity, concentration and depth. This layered, expansive effort could turn out to be one of the finest this estate has ever made. Give it 3-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Camenere is a little reticent at first, but after 2 minutes of rigorous coaxing evolves a very pure nose of macerated black cherries, blueberry and cassis with very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a compact entry that seems to expand as it remain in the mouth. The tannins are a little more prominent than the d’Armailhac with a citrus-like freshness on the finish. It has a little more alcohol (14.5%) thanks to the Merlot compared to the others, but there it is what you might describe as a joyous Clerc-Milon. Drink 2015- Tasted April 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the UGC in London and at Mouton-Rothschild. The Clerc-Milon has an explosive bouquet of wild strawberry, dark cherries and cassis that is beautifully defined and to be honest, puts the d’Armailhac ’10 in the shade. Philippe Dhalluin believes this is perhaps the finest vintage ever made. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe blackberry and minerals on the entry. It is beautifully balanced and more expressive than d’Armailhac, fanning out towards the finish with precocious, sweet black fruit balanced by a citric thread of acidity. Outstanding. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere and 11% Cabernet Franc, the 2010 Clerc Milon is completely different to the 2009 – brilliant delineation and focus to the point that puts all other vintages in the shade. The palate is beautifully defined and extremely pure with blackcurrant, crushed stone and wondrous minerality. There is a lovely crescendo in the mouth but unlike the 2009 it shows a modicum of restraint. This shimmering beauty should reward a decade in the cellar, although the precision is such that you could drink it now. Drink 2016-2030+ Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One the finest Clerc Milons I have ever tasted, and showing better from bottle than from barrel, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and the rest a tiny bit of Carmenere and Petit Verdot has a complex nose of cedar wood, red and black fruits, white chocolate and creme de cassis. A very powerful wine at 14.5% natural alcohol (quite high for a Medoc), this wine has impressive purity and texture, a full-bodied mouthfeel, relatively sweet tannin, but an already endearing complexity, length and richness that are hard to ignore. This is a superb effort and one of the wines that is usually reasonably priced among the classified growths.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 Clerc Milon has long been a favorite wine of mine. It has a gorgeous bouquet, with black cherries, raspberry preserve and a touch of Italian cured meat—all beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied, with supple tannin, very good weight and grip and a keen line of acidity. It is still very backward, with hints of black truffle in a very persistent aftertaste. This is simply one of the finest wines from Clerc Milon in recent years. Tasted April 2017.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Clerc Milon rolls effortlessly out of the glass with open-knit scents of baked black cherries, blackberry preserves and crème de cassis with hints of leather, unsmoked cigars and dried sage with a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with concentrated black fruits and framed by firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long with great purity.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(50% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 11% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot and 1% carmenere; 14% alcohol) Deep ruby-purple. Dense, rich nose redolent of cassis, dried herbs and violet, with a refreshing note of mint emerging with air. Smooth, full and rich on entry, with pure, precise black fruit and herbal flavors. Big, strapping tannins are silky and sweet. A very big, expressive Clerc Milon that manages to deploy its considerable power with uncommon charm and refinement. Call me crazy, but I thought I could pick up the green pepper note given by the carmenere. Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, who was previously at Opus One for ten years, has worked for the past two years at Clerc Milon with Philippe Dhalluin (the technical director and general manager of the Mouton estates), and his involvement is starting to show in a string of ever-improving wines from Clerc Milon. And the greater attention to detail can't be a bad thing either, given the difficulties presented by working with such a high-quality but complex site (230 different parcels of vines!). This 2010 struck me as much better than the 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 Clerc-Milon has a modest bouquet with blackberry and sous-bois aromas, perhaps missing the intensity of some of its peers in this flight. Pencil box scents emerge with aeration to add a little complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, classic Pauillac really with cedar and mint towards the brisk and defined finish. Fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Moderately saturated ruby-red. Expressive, complex aromas of cassis, dark chocolate, cedar, lead pencil, tobacco and fresh herbs. Velvety and fine-grained in the mouth, with energetic dark fruit flavors accented by flowers, cedar and fresh herbs. Finishes with ripe tannins and excellent sneaky length. I like the impression of sheer size and fresh fruit.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 Clerc-Milon has a modest bouquet with blackberry and sous-bois aromas, perhaps missing the intensity of some of its peers in this flight. Pencil box scents emerge with aeration to add a little complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, classic Pauillac really with cedar and mint towards the brisk and defined finish. Fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
I can’t remember tasting a young Clerc as exciting as this since the 1980s. Fascinating aromas of blackberries and currant jam. Very deep. Tar too. Full and very dense. It just tickles the tip of your tongue. So much there. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Carménère.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Gorgeous currants and spices with licorice on the nose. Full body, with super integrated tannins and a long, long finish. The texture and beautiful fruit just wants you to drink this. Give it time but hard to wait. Try in 2016.
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)2009(5)
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