Chateau Clerc Milon Rothschild 2019

JAMES SUCKLING: "Aromas of crushed stone, blackcurrants and blackberries. Full-bodied with extremely well-crafted tannins that are chewy and layered, yet polished and fantastic. Love the finish. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 25% petit verdot, 22% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Drink after 2026."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Fisches Cassis, ein Hauch von Herzkirschen und Lakritze, feine Edelholznuancen, zartes Nougat, feine Kräuterwürze. Stoffig, gute Komplexität, süße Beerenfrucht, angenehme Frische, reife, tragende Tannine, mineralisch und zugleich elegant, sehr gute Länge, verfügt über sicheres Reifepotenzial, spielt seine Terroirklasse voll aus."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2019 Clerc Milon is a real success. At more than 70%, this blend contains one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon in the property's recent history, and the result is a wine of real nobility. Offering up aromas of violets, wild berries, licorice, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with notable depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. From clay-limestone soils rather than the sandy gravels that characterize d'Armailhac, this is by some margin the more structured and serious of Mouton-Rothschild's two Pauillac stablemates."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2019 Clerc Milon is composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling to reveal notes of black cherries and mulberries over a core of cassis, cedar, and crushed rocks plus a waft of truffles. The medium-bodied palate has a sturdy structure, with grainy tannins and lively acidity supporting the cedar-laced black fruits, leading to a minerally finish."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The large percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, 72%, (The highest percentage since 1986) seems to have added a lot of complexity here, as it was so ripe. Now, you find a complex array of flowers, spice, tobacco leaf, blackberries, and currants in the nose. Fresh, crisp, soft, sweet, and vibrant on the palate, the wine offers length, purity, freshness, and a finish loaded with sweet red fruits, a touch of peppery spice, and just a hint of savory, leafy herbs on the backend. This is in contention as the best vintage of Clerc Milon ever produced. Drink from 2027-2047."

WEINWISSER: "72 % Cabernet Sauvignon (mehr Cabernet Sauvignon als letztes Jahr), 22 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot. Undurchsichtiges Purpur mit schwarzer Mitte. Verführerisches Bouquet mit frisch gepflückten Brombeeren, dahinter edle Cassiswürze und Schokopastillen. Am saftigen Gaumen mit samtiger Textur und nerviger Rasse, engmaschiges Tanningerüst, sehniger Körper. Im aromatischen Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, Pflaumenhaut und Graphitspuren, endet in einem langen Crescendo mit zarter Adstringenz. Hat ganz bewusst einen klassischen Weg eingeschlagen. Für Gutsdirektor Philippe Dhalluin: «complex and more sophistacted."

DECANTER: "Harvested between 19 September and 9 October, the 2019 Clerc-Milon is a classic example of Pauillac with leafy, cool, blackcurrant-driven notes together with a pronounced lead-pencil/graphite edge. 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot compliment the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant (72%) blend. Tight and focussed on the palate with plenty of tannins evident at the moment, this will benefit from five years ageing. Less voluptuous than many 2019s but I like this elegant style."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "A very fine wine, rich in both black fruits and dark tannins. Bold black fruits are softened by the ripeness of the fruit. Then they are structured by the layers of firm tannins. Drink this wine from 2026."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Another beautiful effort from this team, the 2019 Château Clerc Milon is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, from vines just across the street from Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild. Brought up in a mix of new and used barrels, it has a healthy ruby/plum color to go with a great nose of ripe red and black fruits supported by some classic Pauillac lead pencil, tobacco, and spice box notes. I love its overall balance, it's medium-bodied, has silky tannins, and the fresher, elegant style of the vintage. I wouldn't call it mid-weight, but I compared this to the 2014 on release, and I still think that comparison holds, although there's a touch more length and intensity in the 2019. This will drink well today with a decant (I followed this bottle for two days) and will shine for a good two decades."

WINE SPECTATOR: " Presents a very fresh core of cassis, red cherry and damson plum fruit flavors that meld nicely with a racy iron streak, while light savory and floral details run along the edges. A very pure and bright version that should age well. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Best from 2023 through 2038."