2022 Chateau Clerc Milon - 5eme Cru Pauillac

Decanter.com – 95 pts – GH: *Fragrant, perfumed black berries and purple flowers. Smells intense and concentrated, deep, dark and rich. Bold and characterful from the first sip, supple and generous, a lovely shot of strawberry and red cherry fruit gives the tang and immediate excitement while the tannins, stoney and cool, enter and give the frame and focus for the finish. Really well made, great drive but plush at the same time, it’s silky yet well defined and also weighty and forward. A big mouthful that is just so juicy and fun, lively, expressive, well worked and so easy. A step-up from Pastourelle. Super accessible and really enjoyable with the sweet juicy tang that I adore and stony minerality on the finish that is moreish. Immediate pleasure on offer. 12.8% press wine. 1% Carmenere completes the blend. HVE3 certified. Ageing 18 months in French oak barrels, 55% new. 3.83pH.* - 04/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 96 pts - PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife schwarze Kirschen, ein Hauch von Cassis und Feigen, ein Touch von kandierten Orangen. Straff, Brombeeren, feine Kirschfrucht, feine, integrierte Tannine, angenehme Frische, elegant und lange anhaftend, zarte Extraktsüße im Finale, zeigt Länge und Potenzial.* - 01/2023

Vinum Magazin – 18/20 pts: *Zurückhaltend, aber von gewohnter Komplexität; voluminöser Ansatz, fleischiger Bau, das erstklassige Tannin stützt ideal das Fleisch, sehr langer, fruchtiger Ausklang; erst im letzten Drittel spürbar, aber nicht störend feuriges Finale.* - 04/2023

WeinWisser – 18+/20pts – GL, TW: *59 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 32 % Merlot, 8 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Carmenère, pH 3.83, 14.5 Vol.-%. Delikates Bouquet, Wildkirsche, Graphit, Oliven und betörendes Veilchenparfüm. Am sublimen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, balancierter Rasse, kakaoartigem Tanningerüst und engmaschigem Körper. Im gebündelten, geradlinigen Gaumen schwarzbeerige Konturen, Estragon und feinkörniger Extrakt. Gehört dieses Jahr dank seiner Intensität und Eleganz in seiner Klasse zu den Besten.* – 04/2023

JancisRobinson.com – 17/20pts – JL: *59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère. Cask sample. Rich and concentrated with layered fruit on the palate. Round and generous but with a chalky, minerally freshness. Tannins suave but finishes a little dry (oak not fully integrated?). Plenty of power.* - 04/2023

Vinous.com – (91-93) pts – AG: *The 2022 Clerc Milon is plump, juicy and vibrant, with terrific energy and tons of class. Sumptuous black cherry, gravel, licorice, menthol and spice are beautifully dialed up in this decidedly flamboyant edition of Clerc Milon. A sample tasted in a group setting outside the château was far fresher than the wine I tasted at the estate, evidence that much of en primeur tasting is ridiculous. A sample presented at Mouton-Rothschild was five days old and oxidized. I rated it (86-88).* - 04/2023

Vinous.com – (91-93) pts – NM: *The 2022 Clerc Milon, matured in 55% new oak with 14.6% alcohol, has a very tightly-wound nose at the moment. There's good fruit concentration, but it is missing a bit of personality, unlike its stablemate d'Armailhac. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and good grip. It's pretty dense and grainy in texture. With graphite on the aftertaste, this Pauillac conveys fine tension but will require several years of aging in bottle. I feel this is hiding its virtues at the moment.* - 04/2023

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (94-96) pts – JL: *Spicy red fruits, flowers, cedar, tobacco leaf, and currants make an appearance in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, fresh and elegant. The profile here is elegance, refinement, lift, and purity, along with a note of sweet chocolate on the very backend of the finish. This is going to be quite easy to enjoy in its youth. But, patience is a virtue. So give it some time in the bottle. as it will improve with age. The wine blends 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenere. 14.5% ABV, 3.83 pH. Drink from 2026-2050.* - 03/2023