Pastourelle de Clerc Milon - Pauillac 2016

Yvesbeck.wine

95

byYves Beckthe3/20/2019

Rouge grenat dense aux reflets pourpres. Quelle fraîcheur et quelle intensité ! Ce bouquet pose les jalons d'entrée. Il est complexe, invitant, bien typé par le Cabernet Sauvignon et par le terroir. Mise en bouche friande et crémeuse. Au palais, le vin apparait comme une force tranquille. Il est doté de tannins soyeux, bien intégrés et puissants. Belle symbiose entre les tannins et la structure. Cette dernière soutient la fraîcheur et l'intensité aromatique jusqu'en finale. Un vin de caractère qui ira loin dans le temps. 2024-2046 95/100

Jeb DUNNUCK

90

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/1/2019

The second wine of Clerc Milon, the 2016 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon checks in as 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot brought up in once-used barrels. It’s a ripe, powerful second wine that has loads to love, with notes of currants, ripe black cherries, smoked earth, and violets. It’s a ripe, chewy, medium to full-bodied 2016 that has moderate tannins, plenty of texture, and while it’s already drinking nicely, it should easily keep for 10-15 years.

Jamessuckling.com

91

byJames Sucklingthe2/4/2019

Blackberry and blueberry aromas and flavors with light walnut and bark character. Full-bodied, juicy and savory with a focused, firm wall of tannins. Needs two or three years of bottle age. Second wine of Clerc Milon. Try in 2023.

Vinous

89

byNeal Martinthe1/24/2019

The 2016 Pastorelle de Clerc Milon has a tight, Cabernet-driven bouquet of black fruit infused with pencil shavings. It feels a little "distant" at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, good grip and a mineral-driven finish. This is a very well crafted second wine that perhaps ought to be better known.

Vinous

92

byAntonio Gallonithe1/21/2019

The 2016 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is absolutely gorgeous. All of the pedigree of this great vintage comes through in a rich, juicy wine endowed with striking textural resonance and depth. Floral and spice notes lift the dark red and purplish berry fruit in a supple, racy Pauillac that will drink beautifully whenever Clerc Milon decides to release it. The Pastourelle is 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Merlot very much front and center. As a reminder, the Pastourelle is mostly sold into the restaurant wine trade and is released when the château deems it ready to drink, which is usually a few years later than the other wines in the Mouton stable.

Wine Advocate

89

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

The 2016 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is blended of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot aged exclusively in one-year-old barrels. It has a deep garnet-purple color and features a classic nose of cedar chest, cassis and pencil lead with hints of tobacco, redcurrants, warm plums and bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great intensity of red and black fruit flavors with a firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.

Decanter.com

90

byJane Ansonthe10/26/2018

Wine Advocate

89-91

byNeal Martinthe5/2/2017

The 2016 Pastourelle de Cleac-Milon is a blend of 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and like other vintages, readers should note that it will not be released for a few years (in fact, the 2011 will be the next release after the 2009 in 2016). It has a very pure bouquet with blackberry, undergrowth and a touch of pencil lead, very backward at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, a little foursquare with strong pencil lead and tobacco notes infusing the black fruit, leading to a crisp, classic finish. This should be very fine, although the estate would be wise to be patient before releasing this onto the market.

The Wine Cellar Insider

86-87

byJeff Levethe4/27/2017

Medium bodied with a bit of minerality in the salty tannins, the wine is vinified to be soft, approachable, fruity, elegant and fresh. Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is not sold as a future, the wine is aged until it’s ready for drinking, which, on average, is five years after the vintage. 

Vinous

89-91

byAntonio Gallonithe4/26/2017

The 2016 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is a gorgeous second wine. Pliant, supple and inviting, it is also a terrific introduction to the vintage. Plum, blueberry jam, menthol and sweet spices are pushed forward in this super-attractive, juicy Pauillac. Once bottled, the 2016 should be a gorgeous Pauillac for near-term drinking.

Jamessuckling.com

91-92

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2017

Blueberry, spice and blackcurrant character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Second wine of Clerc Milon.