Château Clerc Milon 2018
Full-bodied red wine, crafted in a classic Left Bank Bordeaux style emphasizing structure, complexity, and ageworthiness. · Château Clerc Milon, owned by Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. It is classified as a Cinquième Cru (Fifth Growth) in the official Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The estate enjoys an exceptional reputation for producing rich, opulent, and remarkably consistent Pauillac wines under the same corporate family stewardship as Château Mouton Rothschild.
Vintage: 2018. A warm and sunny growing season in Bordeaux that followed a wet spring. The resulting wines are powerful, deeply colored, highly concentrated, and rich, offering substantial fruit extraction paired with ripe, velvety tannins, marking it as an exceptional vintage.
Type
Full-bodied red wine, crafted in a classic Left Bank Bordeaux style emphasizing structure, complexity, and ageworthiness.
Producer
Château Clerc Milon, owned by Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. It is classified as a Cinquième Cru (Fifth Growth) in the official Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The estate enjoys an exceptional reputation for producing rich, opulent, and remarkably consistent Pauillac wines under the same corporate family stewardship as Château Mouton Rothschild.
Country
France, the historical heartland of fine wine. It pioneered the concept of terroir and appellation laws (AOC system), setting the global standard for classic winemaking traditions and influencing wine culture worldwide.
Vintage
2018. A warm and sunny growing season in Bordeaux that followed a wet spring. The resulting wines are powerful, deeply colored, highly concentrated, and rich, offering substantial fruit extraction paired with ripe, velvety tannins, marking it as an exceptional vintage.
Region & Appellation
France, Bordeaux, Haut-Médoc, Pauillac AOC. Pauillac is one of the most prestigious communes in the Médoc, home to three of the five First Growths, renowned for producing structured, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines set on gravelly soils.
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon (typically around 50-55%), Merlot (around 30-35%), Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Carmenère. Cabernet Sauvignon brings structure, cassis, and aging potential; Merlot adds softness and roundness; the minor blending partners contribute spice, color, and aromatic complexity.
Color & Appearance
Deep, opaque ruby-purple with a youthful violet rim. High viscosity with slow-moving legs, indicating a concentrated wine of significant alcohol and extract.
Aroma Profile
Intense and complex bouquet featuring primary aromas of fresh blackcurrant, blackberry, and dark cherry, underpinned by secondary notes of cedarwood, vanilla, and subtle toast from oak aging, alongside evolving tertiary hints of tobacco leaf, graphite, and forest floor.
Tasting Notes
A powerful and harmonious palate entry delivering a rich core of dark fruit, seamlessly transitioning into layers of graphite, licorice, and fine spices. The mid-palate is structured and voluptuous, carrying through to a remarkably long, polished, and mineral-driven finish.
Flavor Profile
Dominated by rich cassis, black plum, and blackberry fruit flavors, layered with non-fruit notes of pencil shavings, fresh tobacco, dark chocolate, and subtle oak-derived vanilla and clove. The flavors show impressive depth and length.
Body & Texture
Full-bodied with a rich, velvety texture. The abundant extract and lush mouthfeel provide a powerful tactile impression that is balanced by the wine's inherent freshness and structural backbone.
Acidity & Tannins
Medium-high, refreshing acidity providing great lift to the rich fruit profile. The tannins are high in quantity yet remarkably fine-grained, ripe, and silky, offering a firm yet approachable structural framework.
Sweetness Level
Bone dry, with zero residual sugar, balanced harmoniously by ripe fruit concentration and glycerol.
Alcohol Content
14.5% ABV, typical for modern warm vintages in Pauillac, adding warmth and generosity to the full body without feeling unbalanced.
Aging & Oak
Aged for approximately 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, with a significant proportion of new oak (around 50%). This regimen imparts delicate notes of toast, smoke, and spice while allowing the pure expression of the terroir to shine.
Food Pairings
Ideal for pairing with autumn-appropriate rich proteins such as pan-seared ribeye steak, roasted rack of lamb with rosemary, or braised venison shank. For cheeses, aged Comté or hard sheep's milk cheeses provide an excellent pairing bridge.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at 16-18°C in large Bordeaux glass stems. Decant for at least 1 to 2 hours prior to drinking to allow the aromatics to open up. Best enjoyed now with proper decanting or cellared over the next decade.
Price Range
Estimated retail price between $90 and $130 USD per bottle, offering solid value as an accessible entry into the world of classified growth Pauillac.
Quality Assessment
Score range of 93-95 points. Categorized as a super-premium classified growth that consistently punches above its official fifth-growth classification in top vintages.
Production Methods
Hand-harvested with rigorous sorting in both vineyard and cellar. Fermented in temperature-controlled wooden and stainless-steel vats using traditional maceration techniques. Clarified with egg whites traditionally before bottling.
Terroir
Deep gravelly outcrops over a clay-limestone subsoil near the Gironde estuary. The poor, well-draining soils force vines to root deeply, while the river moderates temperature extremes and provides ideal ripening conditions.
History & Heritage
Purchased in 1988 by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, the estate's colorful label features 18th-century ivory dancers from the Museum of Mouton Rothschild, reflecting the artistic heritage of the property.
Interesting Facts
Château Clerc Milon's distinctive label depicts a pair of German seventeenth-century ivory dancers, echoing the owner's passion for art and wine history housed at Château Mouton Rothschild.
Cellaring Potential
Excellent cellaring potential. Drinking well now with decanting, it will continue to evolve and hit its absolute peak maturity between 2028 and 2045.
Similar Wines
Château d'Armailhac, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Château Pontet-Canet, and Château Haut-Batailley.