Loads of licorice and currants follow through to a full-bodied palate, with lots of refined tannins and a long, long finish. This is very structured and layered. Beauty. Better than the 2000. Best after 2010.

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s “10-Year On” tasting in London. The Clerc-Milon ’03 is very different to the d’Armailhac ’03, perhaps crisper and more classic, with cedar and autumnal leaves. It coalesces nicely in the glass and is actually very attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp acidity and a commendable sense of focus. I appreciate the classicism of this Clerc-Milon, a sense of reserve on the finish, which is in stark contrast to the more flamboyant d’Armailhac. This is just lovely – perhaps a hidden gem of the vintage? Tasted March 2013.

(92 pts)
An opulent, raisin-tinged nose that is relatively backward, dense yet pure with well integrated new oak. The palate is plush, very pure with firm, sinewy tannins and excellent fruit concentration, with notes of blackcurrant, blueberry and a touch of vanilla. A solid, classy wine. Drink 2009-2015. Tasted January 2007.

Drink 2010-2026
-Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide No 7

The dense ruby/purple-colored 2003 is surprisingly fresh and crisp, displaying no signs of the vintage's extreme heat. This full-bodied, powerful, rich, backward, dense, tannic effort reveals notes of Chinese black tea, creme de cassis, licorice, and melted chocolate. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring, and drink it over the next two decades.
(91 Pts) www.erobertparker.com

The dense ruby/purple-colored 2003 is surprisingly fresh and crisp, displaying no signs of the vintage’s extreme heat. This full-bodied, powerful, rich, backward, dense, tannic effort reveals notes of Chinese black tea, creme de cassis, licorice, and melted chocolate. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring, and drink it over the next two decades.

Medium ruby-red. Liqueur-like dark berries complicated by truffle, leather and cooler herbal notes. Fat, sweet and rich in a rather full-blown style. This was quite closed a year ago in barrel but now offers considerable early appeal. Finishes with suave tannins.

Good medium ruby-red. Brooding aromas of cassis and licorice. Backward and medicinal for the vintage, and quite closed today, despite possessing excellent depth of material. Less exotic today than the Armailhac, and dominated by its tannins.

Violets, meat and dark fruit, lifted but a touch of volatile acidity? (JH)