This has a great finish, with blackcurrant, chocolate, hazelnut and salt undertones that run the length of the wine. Full-bodied and dense, and then it lifts off at the end. Chalky undertone, coming from the limestone terroir here. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot, 6.5% cabernet franc, 1.5% carmenere and 1% petit verdot.

Revealing aromas of red berries cherries and blackcurrants mingled with hints of pencil shavings and new oak the 2023 Clerc Milon is medium to full-bodied deep and fleshy with a layered core of fruit sweet velvety tannins and a seamless succulent profile. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon 19% Merlot 6.5% Cabernet Franc and the balance Carmenère and Petit Verdot.

The 2023 Clerc Milon was picked from September 7 to 29 and is matured in 55% new oak. It has much more fruit concentration on the nose than the Pastorelle—quite precocious with blackberry and cassis fruit. It's floral and more flamboyant than the d'Armailhac. The palate is very well balanced with a slightly creamy texture and a lovely mouthfeel. Its concentration is neatly counterbalanced by the acidity and it feels very harmonious and long on the finish. Superb. If Mouton-Rothschild is beyond your budget—yes I am familiar with that feeling—then this is where you should look.

The 2023 Clerc Milon is a packed with blackberry grilled herbs leather incense gravel and cloves. A dark brooding powerhouse the 2023 will need a few years to settle down. Today its imposing tannic personality is very much front and center. Drink 2028-2043.