Château Duhart Milon Rothschild, 4eme Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2019
Much more smoky, gravelly aromatics, almost heading to iodine and crushed oyster shells. Coriander seed, juniper and then pencil shavings and graphite. A note of peat. This is way more introvert and yet with air there are dark berry and floral notes emerging. The palate is a picture of suave reserve, impeccable tannins that coat the tongue with fine powdery grip, dark Valrhona chocolate and a slick of smooth river pebbles. Very debonair, very poised, slightly less charming than Carruades today, but more complex. The finish has coal dust and sandalwood and coriander seed dusting dark black berry fruit. Very cabernet, very serious, but also beautifully tailored.
critic reviews
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, the 2019 Duhart-Milon is deep garnet-purple in color. Cassis, cedar, and juicy plums waft from the nose, followed by hints of iron ore and wild sage plus a touch of cedar. The medium-bodied palate offers tight-knit fruit with a sturdy backbone and a chewy finish.
The 2019 Duhart-Milon has a straightforward nose with touches of oxtail infusing the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, quite grippy tannins, nicely balanced with a pleasing off-dry, tobacco-infused finish. I feel that this bottle is not the freshest that I have encountered and so will defer scoring it. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
The 2019 Duhart-Milon is showing beautifully, mingling aromas of cassis and wild berries with notions of violets, cedar wood, orange rind, licorice and spice box in a perfumed bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, it's charming and refined, with a deep core of fruit, powdery tannins and succulent acids. This chateau is going from strength to strength.
A brilliant wine to seek out to showcase how Duhart is being skilfully worked to deepen its flavour profile and beef up its mid palate, and to soften up tannins that can be austere when young. Here you find a tenderness and a velvety quality to the structure, along with cool blue and black fruits. Still unmistakably Pauillac, majoring on cassis, pencil lead and cedar wood, all standing to attention and confident of giving you many years of service. Very good quality, delivering on its En Primeur promise.