Château Clerc Milon 2016 Pauillac 750ml

Baron Philippe de Rothschild bought Château Clerc Milon in 1970, describing it at the time as "a pretty estate in a high-quality terroir, that was currently in poor condition." He wasn't exaggerating — the property had shrunk to just 10.5 hectares of vines and was little known outside Pauillac. What he saw, and what his descendants have spent five decades proving, was that beneath the neglect sat one of the appellation's most genuinely underrated Fifth Growth terroirs — land that had once been part of the vast 18th-century seigneury of Lafite itself, sold off as national property during the Revolution and acquired by the Clerc family, who joined their name to the Pauillac hamlet of Milon where the vineyard stood.

The Baron, ever attentive to image — having reimagined Mouton Rothschild in his own flamboyant style — gave Clerc Milon its own visual identity: a pair of dancing clowns rendered in precious stones, based on 16th-century German goldsmith work displayed in the Museum of Wine in Art at Mouton. Today the estate is managed by his three grandchildren, its 41 hectares of sandy gravel and clay-limestone soils benefiting from state-of-the-art technical facilities and the hands-on expertise of a dedicated Rothschild-trained team, sitting on a crest between Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild overlooking the Gironde estuary. Wine Doctor's assessment is direct: Clerc Milon has become "a dark, brooding and masculine libation, punching way above its weight," with none of the cost-inflating hype that follows some of its more publicized neighbors.

2016 arrived at the end of a genuinely dramatic growing season — a very wet winter and spring, with more than half the year's rainfall falling in the first four months alone, including a record 240mm in January, followed by an extremely dry summer and autumn with no significant rain at all. The result was a large crop of unusually small, concentrated berries that ripened slowly through a hot August and September, producing wines widely regarded as comparing with the finest vintages of the 21st century. Decanter and James Suckling both awarded 96 Points, Suckling highlighting the wine's dense fruit, agility, and muscular tone. Wine Enthusiast awarded 95 Points, while Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator each gave 94 Points. 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." Chocolate-covered cherries, plum preserves, and crushed blackcurrants, with suggestions of lilac, cardamom, underbrush, and unsmoked cigars. This is Rothschild-owned Fifth Growth Pauillac performing, by every account, well beyond its classification.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Château Clerc Milon's land was part of the vast estates of the seigneury of Lafite in the 18th century before being sold as a national asset during the French Revolution. The Clerc family acquired the property and joined their name to that of the Pauillac hamlet of Milon, and the estate was awarded Fifth Growth status in the historic 1855 Classification. The vineyard passed through several owners across the following century — the Clerc family, the Lamena and Mondon families following a legal dispute over the estate name, and eventually the Vialard family — before Baron Philippe de Rothschild, already owner of neighboring Mouton Rothschild, acquired the neglected property in 1970. At the time, only 10.5 hectares were in production. Under the Baron and, following his death in 1988, his daughter Baroness Philippine, the estate underwent sustained modernization: vineyard reconstitution, a gravity-fed vat room with 40 stainless steel tanks installed in 2007, and a humidity-controlled barrel room added in 2011. Today the estate is managed by Baron Philippe's three grandchildren, with Caroline Artaud directing the property.

The vineyard spans 41 hectares of sandy gravel and clay-limestone soils positioned on a crest between Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild, overlooking the Gironde estuary — whose large body of water helps moderate the local climate. Five grape varieties are planted: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc form the backbone, alongside tiny plots of Petit Verdot and Carménère (the latter from a very old plot originally planted in 1948). Grapes are hand-picked, with each parcel receiving up to three passes to optimize quality at harvest. The 2016 vintage's specific blend was 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Carménère — the exceptional quality of the Cabernet Franc that year led the estate to include the entire component in the Grand Vin. Harvest in 2016 began September 28th with the Merlot parcels and continued in ideal conditions through October 15th. The wine was aged 16 months in 50% new French oak, part of the estate's broader shift toward higher new-oak percentages — not to load the wine with oak spice, but to forge a tighter, tenser frame around the fruit.

Critics Reviews

Decanter — 96 Points

James Suckling — 96 Points:
Highlighted the wine's dense fruit, agility, and muscular tone.

Wine Enthusiast — 95 Points

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate — 94 Points

Wine Spectator — 94 Points

Saratoga Wine (extended tasting note):
"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."

Saratoga Wine (second extended tasting note):
"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."

Wine-Searcher / vertical tasting note (from a chateau visit):
"An outstanding Clerc Milon and probably one of the recent best. This shows depth, richness, juiciness, complexity and nice fluidity in the middle. Fine, svelte tannins with graphite, black currant and paprika flavors. Juicy and medium- to full-bodied with a long finish. Drink or hold."

IntoWine (extended tasting note):
"Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is open from the get go with cassis, cigar box, slight graphite and a bit of milk chocolate. Full bodied with firm tannins. Good balance. A bit shut down on the palate at first, but opens up and is drinking well. Nice, thick texture. Cassis with chocolate and a bit of char. Good finish. This probably needs at least another five years and should drink well for ten to fifteen more after that."

Liquor Geeks (tasting note):
"The wine presents a deep, nearly opaque black color, indicating its intensity and concentration. The bouquet is marked by finesse and elegance, offering a complex array of aromas. Intense ripe fruit scents dominate, with additional notes of liquorice and a subtle hint of pepper enhancing the aromatic profile. The finish is lengthy and elegant, with a balanced interplay of fruit and chocolate notes, leaving a memorable impression."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Deep ruby-purple, nearly opaque — the concentrated, small-berry 2016 vintage producing one of the estate's most visually striking colors. Crème de cassis and chocolate-covered cherries open the nose with rich, dark fruit intensity. New saddle leather and graphite add the classic Pauillac mineral signature. Plum preserves and crushed blackcurrants build layered dark fruit depth, alongside suggestions of lilac, cardamom, underbrush, cigar box, and unsmoked cigars. Milk chocolate and spicy oak thread throughout, the 50% new French oak regime lending a tighter, tenser frame rather than overt wood spice.

Palate
Dense fruit meets genuine agility on the palate — a muscular tone that James Suckling specifically singled out, the wine carrying real weight without ever feeling heavy-handed. Dark and concentrated, with depth and intensity that confirm the vintage's exceptional character. Great ripeness meets fine, svelte tannins fully integrated into the fruit — juicy and full to medium-bodied, with genuine fluidity through the middle palate. Intense ripe fruit dominates, joined by liquorice, paprika, and a subtle hint of pepper.

Finish
Lengthy and elegant, with a balanced interplay of fruit and chocolate notes leaving a genuinely memorable impression. Deep, powerful, and beautifully concentrated — a finish built for extended cellaring, with the estate's own track record suggesting 30 years or more of graceful development.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Roast lamb or leg of lamb
• Grilled ribeye or filet mignon
• Duck breast with dark fruit sauce
• Aged hard cheeses
• Classic Bordelaise cuisine