Clerc Milon - Pauillac 2022

Alexandre Ma

97

byAlexandre Mathe3/10/2025

During the 2022 harvest season, I visited the vineyards of Château Clerc Milon, where the vines, nurtured by a subsoil rich in clay, were in astonishingly pristine condition. There was not a trace of sunburn or leaf loss. Tasting a few grapes on the spot, I was struck by their pure, fruitiness and boldly predicted that 2022 would be an extraordinary vintage of the estate. Now, after both En Primeur and bottled tastings, I can say with unwavering confidence that 2022 stands as a legendary vintage for the estate. The fruit aromas are crystalline, as if reflecting the vast clarity of a sunlit blue sky. The wine’s body gleams with a polished brilliance, smooth and supple like a freshly peeled egg, while its silky, tender texture defies the dry heat of the vintage. Such elegance and finesse leave one utterly dazzled. The 2022 vintage is a masterpiece, standing alongside 2018 and 2016 as a must-have for collectors.

Wine Advocate

95

byWilliam Kelleythe3/7/2025

Aromas of sweet crème de cassis, licorice, violets and creamy new oak introduce the 2022 Clerc Milon, a full-bodied, rich and layered wine that's deep and vibrant, with ripe, integrated tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long finish. As I wrote en primeur, its clay-limestone terroir lends it a distinctive signature that sets it apart from the rest of the portfolio.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

95

byJane Ansonthe3/7/2025

Depth and dark intensity of the colour from the first moment, slate texture to the tannins and dark cocoa-dusted damsons and cassis, vivid fruit quality, with black olives, spiced cumin and turmeric, mint leaf and eucalyptus. This is wet stone, salinity, dynamic quality, a great wine in this extreme vintage. Plenty of ageing capacity ahead. Caroline Artaud technical director, 50% new oak.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94

byJeff Levethe3/4/2025

Clerc Milon, Château

Jeb DUNNUCK

97

byJeb Dunnuckthe2/28/2025

The finest example of the château I've tasted, the 2022 Château Clerc Milon is deep purple-hued with a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, spring flowers, spicy oak, and graphite. It's full-bodied, concentrated, has a weightless mouthfeel, and beautiful tannins, all making for a riveting Pauillac. It needs a decade of bottle age to hit prime time, but this is another truly special 2022 that readers should pounce on.

Yvesbeck.wine

97

byYves Beckthe2/25/2025

59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carménère Clerc Milon commence par révéler des nuances minérales rapidement entourées par des effluves de cerises, de réglisse et de massepain… entre autres ! La pluralité n'est pas à démontrer et l'on peut aisément compléter la large palette olfactive présente, surtout sur le plan de la fraîcheur ! En bouche, le focus est également axé sur la tension, tandis que la puissance et la densité sont privilégiées par les tannins. Il en résulte une symbiose exceptionnelle, alliant les côtés suaves, vifs et austères qui ont tous pour ambitions de plussoyer l'exceptionnel niveau de Clerc Milon 2022. Un vin serein, puissant, charmant, précis et harmonieux. La persistance et le caractère salivant de sa finale rappellent sa nature, son ADN, dans un contexte plus contemporain certes, mais tellement fidèle à son terroir. 2029-2057 97/100

Vinous

92

byNeal Martinthe2/12/2025

The 2022 Clerc Milon was shaded by the d'Armailhac when compared out of barrel. That is still the case in bottle. This is more backward and a little taciturn by comparison, though still attractive with blackberry, wild hedgerow and touches of iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a succulent, fleshy opening. It is a more approachable Clerc Milon than other vintages, though d'Armailhac just has a tad more complexity and joie-de-vivre.

Jamessuckling.com

96

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2025

So much Pauillac character with lead pencil, currants and red fruit. Orange peel and slightly burnt oranges. Medium-bodied, this has creamy and crunchy tannins as well as dried citrus and a flavorful finish. Lovely drive to this exquisite, energetic wine. Drink after 2028.

Vinous

90

byAntonio Gallonithe1/28/2025

The 2022 Clerc Milon is a dense, powerful wine. Dark fruit, leather, licorice, spice, menthol and chocolate are all dialed up. The 2022 offers a good bit of presence, but it also remains rather compact and unyielding at this stage. Both wines from Clerc Milon were more impressive from barrel. I suspect the 2022 may be going through a period of bottle shock. Time will ultimately tell.

Wine Maniacs

94-95

byLin Liuthe5/30/2023

Decanter.com

95

byGeorgina Hindlethe5/25/2023

Fragrant, perfumed black berries and purple flowers. Smells intense and concentrated, deep, dark and rich. Bold and characterful from the first sip, supple and generous, a lovely shot of strawberry and red cherry fruit gives the tang and immediate excitement while the tannins, stoney and cool, enter and give the frame and focus for the finish. Really well made, great drive but plush at the same time, it’s silky yet well defined and also weighty and forward. A big mouthful that is just so juicy and fun, lively, expressive, well worked and so easy. A step-up from Pastourelle. Super accessible and really enjoyable with the sweet juicy tang that I adore and stony minerality on the finish that is moreish. Immediate pleasure on offer. 12.8% press wine. 1% Carmenere completes the blend. HVE3 certified. Ageing 18 months in French oak barrels, 55% new. 3.83pH.

Alexandre Ma

95-97

byAlexandre Mathe5/17/2023

During harvest season, I had the opportunity to visit the vineyards of Château Clerc Milon. Thanks to the rich clay layers beneath the soil, the grape leaves thrived, showing no signs of curling. Tasting a few grapes, I was captivated by their pure fruitiness, so I noticed that the vintage of 2022 could be a standout vintage for Château Clerc Milon. After carefully evaluating the En Primeur tasting, I am even more confident in my initial assessment. The fruitiness is as transparent as a blue sky, while the wine's body is as flawless as a freshly peeled egg, bearing no trace of hot and dry weather. This exquisite wine leaves one utterly enchanted. Following the successes of 2022, 2018, and 2016, Château Clerc Milon delivers another dazzling performance in the vintage of 2022.

Vinous

91-93

byNeal Martinthe5/17/2023

The 2022 Clerc Milon, matured in 55% new oak with 14.6% alcohol, has a very tightly-wound nose at the moment. There's good fruit concentration, but it is missing a bit of personality, unlike its stablemate d'Armailhac. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and good grip. It's pretty dense and grainy in texture. With graphite on the aftertaste, this Pauillac conveys fine tension but will require several years of aging in bottle. I feel this is hiding its virtues at the moment.

The Vintage Journal

95-96

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2023

Deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, mocha roasted chestnut aromas. Loeky concentrated wine with ample cassis, espresso, roasted chestnut flavours, long velvetine tannins, superb mid plate richness and well balanced quartz acidity. Finishes firm, juicy and minerally. 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc 1% Carmenere 55% new oak. 14.5% alc

matthewjukes.com

18,5

byMatthew Jukesthe5/15/2023

The Wine Independent

93-95

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/15/2023

The 2022 Clerc Milon is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenere. Deep garnet-purple in color, it races out with vivacious notes of fresh blackcurrants, black raspberries, and boysenberries, leading to touches of bay leaves, Indian spices, and garrigue. The full-bodied palate is packed with black fruit and savory layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with an herbal lift. pH 3.83, TPI 74.

Yvesbeck.wine

92-93

byYves Beckthe5/10/2023

Comme à son habitude, Pastourelle se veut invitant grâce à un bouquet prenant, agréable, marqué par des notes de fèves de cacao, d'eau-de-vie de cerises et de baie noires. Friand, voire suave, le vin est élégant, harmonieux, gourmand et bien soutenu par des tannins soyeux, parfaitement intégrés. Un bonbon liquide à savourer paisiblement.

Bettane & Desseauve

94-95

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/10/2023

Grande couleur, grand corps, parfait boisé. Le jour de notre dégustation, son échantillon se présentait à notre équipe avec un peu moins de raffinement de saveur et texture que celui d’Armailhac dans ce millésime.

Jeb DUNNUCK

94-96

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/10/2023

As to the Grand Vin 2022 Château Clerc Milon, it reminds me of the 2018 with its full-bodied, ripe, yet elegant style. Cassis, graphite, espresso roast, and lead pencil notes define the aromatics, and it has a beautiful spine of acidity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It shows the ripe, exuberant yet structured style of the vintage beautifully. The blend is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenère, harvested between the 9th and 26th of September, with an alcohol content of 14.5%, a pH of 3.83, and an IPT of 74. The élevage here is 55% new French oak. Tasted multiple times with consistent notes.

Vinous

91-93

byAntonio Gallonithe5/9/2023

The 2022 Clerc Milon is plump, juicy and vibrant, with terrific energy and tons of class. Sumptuous black cherry, gravel, licorice, menthol and spice are beautifully dialed up in this decidedly flamboyant edition of Clerc Milon. A sample tasted in a group setting outside the château was far fresher than the wine I tasted at the estate, evidence that much of en primeur tasting is ridiculous. A sample presented at Mouton-Rothschild was five days old and oxidized. I rated it (86-88). Drinking window : 2028-2042

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/5/2023

Spicy red fruits, flowers, cedar, tobacco leaf, and currants make an appearance in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, fresh and elegant. The profile here is elegance, refinement, lift, and purity, along with a note of sweet chocolate on the very backend of the finish. This is going to be quite easy to enjoy in its youth. But, patience is a virtue. So give it some time in the bottle. as it will improve with age. The wine blends 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenere. 14.5% ABV, 3.83 pH. Drink from 2026-2050.

Wine Advocate

93-95

byWilliam Kelleythe5/2/2023

The 2022 Clerc Milon is beautiful, offering up aromas of cherries, raspberries and plums mingled with hints of pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's taut and lively, with a vibrant core of fruit framed by fine, chalky tannins. Its clay-limestone terroir lends it a distinctive signature that sets it apart from the rest of the portfolio.

Jamessuckling.com

95-96

byJames Sucklingthe4/19/2023

Focused and bright with plenty of fruit but oranges and minerals in the mid-palate. Really fresh with a fresh bitterness.