2016 Château Clerc Milon

Description

96   Jane Anson for Decanter
“An estate that has been making great leaps forward over recent years, and once again we have a gorgeous Clerc on our hands. This is extremely succulent, with aromatic complexity and a freshness that just bursts out of the glass. Things start off closed for the first minute or so, then the juice comes rushing through. The mid-palate is smooth and polished but also bursting with energy. This is quite clearly one of their best ever wines, ripped through with sweet cherry and wild blackberry fruit, tightened up by slate and cedar. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere (some of the oldest plantings of this grape in Bordeaux).” (April 2017)

96   James Suckling
“Hot crushed stones and dark berries jump out of the glass. Full body, very dense fruit and powerful tannins, yet it remains agile and bright with beauty and energy. So muscular and toned. Truly outstanding Clerc for the future. Unwavering nature to this. Try after 2024.” (February 2019)

95   Jeb Dunnuck
“I was able to taste the 2016 Château Clerc Milon on multiple occasions and it was always brilliant, showing a deep ruby/purple color as well as sexy aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, new saddle leather, spicy oak, and graphite. Deep, powerful and beautifully concentrated, it’s a rock star of a Pauillac that’s going to keep for 30 years or more. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Carménère, all aged 16 months in 50% new French oak. 2019 – 2049.” (February 2019)

94+   Lisa Perrotti-Brown for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The Cabernet Franc was fantastic this year, so it was all used in the grand vin. The final blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Clerc Milon leaps from the glass with beautiful scents of chocolate-covered cherries, plum preserves and crushed blackcurrants with suggestions of lilacs, cardamom, underbrush and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm frame of finely grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the perfumed fruit to a nice long finish. Drink 2021-2044.” (November 2018)

93   Neal Martin for Vinous
“The 2016 Clerc-Milon has a crisp, graphite-infused bouquet of well-defined black fruit, hints of peony and iris petals showing underneath. The classic palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, well-judged acidity and just the right amount of austerity toward a finish that has a bitter edge. Excellent (and less “aloof” than I found 12 months earlier). Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. 2021 – 2036″ (August 2020)