Clerc Milon 2021 (750ML)

94 AG / 93-94 JS / 92-94 VM / 93 WA / 93 DE / 92 VM / 92 JA / 90-93 JD / 88-90+ WI

The 2021 Clerc Milon is another fine effort from the chateau. It offers an alluring mix of fruit raciness and savory character from the Cabernets. Grilled herbs, graphite, mint, lavender and leather add layers of nuance. The long, persistent finish is a thing of beauty. Clerc Milon has been on the rise of late. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Polished and well-structured red with a medium body and firm but creamy and broad tannins. Perfumed already, with sandalwood, blackberry and currant character. Crushed stones. Tea leaves, too. Firm and solid to the end. Very solid for the vintage. 59% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 1.5% carmenere and 1.5% petit verdot. - James Suckling

The 2021 Clerc Milon is gorgeous. Beams of tannin lend energy and direction to an alluring Clerc Milon that marries fruit density with a classic sense of structure that is quite appealing. - Antonio Gallino, Vinous Media

The 2021 Clerc Milon has turned out very well indeed, offering up aromas of dark berries and minty cassis mingled with hints of violets and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's impressively deep and layered, with an ample core of fruit, lively acids and sweet, chalky tannins. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Bramble and hedgerow notes, some smoke, tobacco, chocolate, liquorice-laced black fruits and graphite on the nose. Seriously captivating with the complexity continuing on the palate, comprising coffee, cedar, clove and cinnamon alongside plump and plush layers of succulent and concentrated blackcurrant and black cherry fruit and racy acidity. The 59% Cabernet Sauvignon influence is in sharp focus, right to the fore, wanting all the attention, but at the same time this has a beautiful and generous fragrance to it from 10% Cabernet Franc. Refined and elegant, I love the presentation and the structure, giving such length and freshness on the long finish. An excellent Clerc this year which really stands out. 1.5% Camenère and 1.5 Petit Verdot complete the blend. 3.73pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2021 Clerc Milon was bottled in mid-June. As reported from barrel, there is a slightly savory note on the nose, hints of brown spices infusing nicely with the black fruit. There is a little more "airiness" compared directly with the d'Armailhac. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, a little fresher and more tensile that its aforementioned stablemate, with ample depth and a peppery finish. This has kicked on in barrel and has its nose out in front. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Sappy, concentrated, powerful, this is a wine that has a lot of power naturally and in a vintage like 2021 (and with higher Cabernet Franc and higher Carmanère than the past few years), it runs the risk of being austere. Certainly you feel a sterner character than over the past few years, but there is flexibility in the tannins, and well-worked blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Will benefit from fattening up through the mid palate over ageing, because all the elements are here. 55% new oak. 57IPT. 3.73ph. Caroline Artaud technical director as of this vintage. Strong candidate for upscore in bottle. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2021 Château Clerc Milon is based on 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Carmenère and Petit Verdot. It has more pure cassis and graphite as well as medium bodied richness, ripe, polished tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2021 Clerc Milon is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Carmenere, and 1.5% Petit Verdot, harvested from 22 September to 6 October, and aging in 55% new oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it struts out of the glass with confident blackcurrant jelly, ripe plums, and blackberry pie scents with touches of cedar chest, damp soil, and Provence herbs. Light to medium-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the vibrant, youthful black fruits, delivering great length. pH 3.73. IPT 57. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent