2020 Chateau Clerc-Milon Pauillac France

Blackcurrants, black licorice, violets and lavender. Aromatic and perfumed. Full- to medium-bodied with tension and focus, and very fine, linear tannins that run the length of the wine. Starting to close now. Serious Clerc. Better after 2029. ~97 James Suckling

Rich and smoky, this wine has great presence. Tannins are almost sweet with their roundness, the wine enveloping the structure with the jammy black fruits. The wine will age well. Drink from 2027. ~95 Wine Enthusiast

Subtle, delicate, not shouting but delivering a really nuanced glass of wine with lots of fresh acidity and soft sweetness but also a herbal element giving spiced red fruits in the glass. Feels less serious than d'Armailhac, more upfront and open, but lovely detail too. Soft, such high acidity, really so lifted in the glass, a lovely purity, clean and clear. I love the grippy tannins that almost clean the palate leaving a crushed velvet texture on the tongue with lots of generosity. Super appealing and already very pleasant and pleasing to drink. ~95 Decanter

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, opaque core, delicate rim brightening. Nuances of cassis and fresh cherries, orange zest, a touch of precious wood and nougat, multi-faceted bouquet. Complex, taut, fresh dark berry fruit, cherries, delicate fruit sweetness, ripe, supporting tannins, shows length and certain ageing potential, secure future, a versatile food companion. ~95 Falstaff

Floral, dark fruity, perfumed with violet, crème de cassis and a great purity. Dense but not opulent palate with bright freshness, exemplary tannin with some graphite and coffee bean notes leading to a very long finish. A classically structured and pure Pauillac with excellent polish. The best young Clerc-Milon I ever tasted. ~95 Andreas Larsson Sommelier

Aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper, exotic spices and burning embers introduce the 2020 Clerc Milon, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered wine that's seamless, concentrated and refined, with lively acids and a long, saline, violet-inflected finish. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot, it's a terrific effort from this clay-limestone terroir that has benefited from so much investment in recent years. ~94+ Wine Advocate

The 2020 Chateau Clerc Milon brings another level of finesse and is a big step up over the Pastourelle. Kirsch, blackberries, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and a crushed stone-like sense of minerality give way to a full-bodied, nicely concentrated, tannic 2020 that's balanced and has terrific purity, followed by a great finish. A serious Pauillac, it warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will have 20-25+ years of overall prime drinking. ~94 Jeb Dunnuck

Sleek and refined, with a very fine-grained structure supporting a core of black currant and black cherry reduction notes along with hints of chalky minerality and sweet tobacco. The long finish has cut and energy, thanks to savory nuance. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Best from 2026 through 2038. ~94 Wine Spectator

~94 Tim Atkin, Master of Wine