The 2014 Clerc Milon has a comparatively sultry bouquet, introspective with blackberry and briary scents, undergrowth and pencil lead. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, edgy and tensile with much more energy than the aromatics suggest. It does not have the ambition of the drive of d’Armailhac, but it feels long in the mouth thanks to that persistent graphite aftertaste. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. - vinous.com, March 2018

Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco, new leather and licorice flesh out in the 2014 Clerc Milon. Deep and pliant to the core, the 2014 boasts notable resonance from start to finish. Although not a huge wine, the 2014 is long on finesse and class, with silky tannins that balance some of the more overt elements. Hints of cedar, tobacco, earthiness and herbs add the final shades of dimension. Today, the 2014 is quite inward and not fully expressive, but it is nevertheless absolutely impeccable. The blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenère.

Tasted blind. Deepest garnet. Rich, ripe and generous with fresh black fruit. A touch minty. Firm, chewy, dry and fresh. Harmonious and refined. Long, too. Needs time. Juicy and fresh on the finish. (JH)