The 2012 Clerc Milon is dark, bold and exuberant in the glass. Plums, black cherries, tobacco and graphite are all pushed forward. Even with its considerable creaminess and overall depth, the 2012 has plenty of tannin lurking underneath, so readers would be well served cellaring the wine for at least a few years.

Blueberry, chocolate and stone aromas with undertones of flowers follow through to a full body, cream tannins and a clean finish. Concentrated for the vintage. Pure fruit. Needs three to four years to soften. Better in 2017.

This is another strong effort from the Mouton Rothschild stable and its excellent administrator Philippe Dhalluin. The 2012 Clerc Milon has an almost blackish-blue opaque color, soft tannins, ripe notes of blackcurrants, licorice and subtle background oak. There is an attractive floral, licorice quality to the fruit. The wine is medium to full-bodied and beautifully pure with ripe tannin. It is soft enough to be approachable in several years and should drink well for 20.

Juicy and round in feel, with a core of fleshy plum and blackberry fruit. A light briary edge frames the core, revealing enticing savory and chalk notes on the finish. Shows a touch more range and floral lift in the end than the d'Armailhac. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

The Clerc-Milon 2012 was tasted on two visits to the property, several days apart. It is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon (the highest percentage for 15 years and picked ten days later than the usual date), 29% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere and 9% Cabernet Franc picked between 1st and 16th October. It is matured in 40-45% new oak. Immediately, the aromatics are much more convincing than the d’Armailhac with ebullient ripe blackberry, raspberry and tobacco aromas that are well defined and vigorous. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannins and well integrated new oak that is in synch with the fruit. This is a superb Clerc-Milon for the vintage with a silky smooth, harmonious finish. Excellent. Tasted April 2013.

[60CS/29M/9F/1PV/1CA] Fresh and with a marked minerality to smell; like the d’Armailhac a leaner style, fresh in acidity, with a very fine tannin; nice length and vitality to taste, with a freshly ripe fruit at its heart, a gentle complexity, and light, fragrant, minerally length. This too should not take long to be ready. 2020-28 [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2013]

(60% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 9% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot and 1% carmenère): Bright ruby-red. Red berries and sweet spices on the perfumed, open nose, complicated by cocoa and coffee nuances. Bright and fresh on the palate, with a spicy mineral overlay to the red and dark berry flavors. Finishes sweet, supple and long, with smooth tannins. This potentially outstanding Clerc Milon comes across as fleshy and rich; I would have guessed it contained a lot more merlot than 29%. Very good stuff in the context of the vintage.

Big, broad and intense with pleasing cherry and blackcurrant characters. Displays a certain quality of winemaking with the signature polish of the owners. Perhaps not the most complex wine of the vintage but a big crowd pleaser.

This attractive, medium-bodied Pauillac reveals tough tannins as well as hints of herbs and underbrush. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and the rest Carmenere and Petit Verdot, it was angular when I tasted it in March, and, like many Medocs, it seems to err on the side of austerity and the lack of mid-palate charm. Its upbringing in barrel will help somewhat, but just how much remains to be seen.

Drink 2020-2032
Dark purple. Sappy and urgent on the nose. Leafy without being underripe. Quite plump but certainly not fat. Lacks the extra dimension of a 2009, and without the superripe tannins of 2010. A good fist of it.

Dark-fruited, and spicy on the nose and palate. Cool, fine tannins. Elegant. Mouthwatering with a long finish. (JH)