2022 Château Clerc Milon

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.

Ripe, but nothing is overdone. Mint, blackberries, violets, iodine and graphite on the nose. Full-bodied with an abundance of dusty tannins that are beautiful despite the vintage’s heat and drought. A big, opulent Bordeaux that will age well. 59% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 1% carmenère. Drinkable now, but better after 2028. From a vertical tasting at the chateau.