Château Duhart Milon Rothschild, 4eme Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2023
Very much crafted in a Lafitesque style, this is another restrained, demure, finely grained Duhart Milon with a lovely sense of airiness and well-mannered tannins. Some floral elements add to the sense of delicacy. Stylish, dark, bright berries interspersed with violets and graphite notes. There’s impressive concentration and even a touch of gloss to the mid-palate, wrapped in refined, mineral infused tannins. A very successful Duhart. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.
critic reviews
This is a vintage the rewards owners who know how to lean in to classical Bordeaux, and this is juicy, perfectly Pauillac, graphite, crayon, ink, liquorice, cassis, bilberry, totally delicious and really one of the greatest vintages of Duhart that I have tasted. Captures the character of the year and it works. 65% first wine, 45hl/h yield, 15% of press wine. Harvest September 7 to October 3. A buy. One point upscore.
The 2023 Duhart-Milon was impressive from barrel and now in bottle, it has retained generosity on the nose with black plum, mint, cedar and touches of blueberry and blossom in the glass while retaining wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, wonderful poise, far removed from the austere Duharts of old. (Eric Kohler attributes this to the new cellar with improved vin de presse. There is also concurrent replanting of some of the older parcels.) Excellent.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Duhart-Milon pops from the glass with notes of wild blueberries, black cherries, and fresh mulberries giving way to underlying hints of cardamom, licorice, and charcoal. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of bright, black fruits with fine-grained tannins and lovely, well-knit freshness, finishing with a real skip in its step. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, with an alcohol of 13.1%. "We've been restructuring the vineyard for the past 8 years, with a little bit more Cabernet Sauvignon, although we also have good terroir for Merlot," says Saskia de Rothschild. "The planting density is lower - down to 7,000 vines per hectare."
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon (picked late, between September 25 and October 3) and 20% Merlot, the 2023 Duhart-Milon has turned out beautifully, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis, cherries and dark berries mingled with hints of mint, cedar and spice box. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it's deep and concentrated, with an ample core of cool but ripe fruit, sweet tannins and a long, penetrating finish.