Château Clerc Milon 2025

Château Clerc Milon is a Cinquième Grand Cru Classé in Pauillac, on the left bank of Bordeaux, with vineyards lying between the villages of Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe close to the Gironde. The estate works gravel soils over clay and limestone, the deep gravel draining freely and pushing the roots down while reflecting heat onto the fruit, and the proximity of the river tempering the climate. The 2025 is built on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Petit Verdot completing an unusually broad blend for the Médoc. It is aged sixteen months in oak barrels, where slow oxygenation through the staves rounds the tannins, stabilises colour and adds cocoa and cedar to the fruit. The wine is bright ruby in the glass. The nose shows blackcurrant and plum with tobacco, graphite and a touch of cocoa. The palate is structured and savoury, the dark fruit set against firm, fine-grained tannins and good acidity, finishing long. Decant for an hour and serve at 17 degrees in a large glass. It suits roast beef, lamb and hard mature cheese.