2007 Ch. Clerc-Milon, Pauillac

Sandwiched happily between First Growths, Lafite and Mouton, this is Ch. d'Armailhac's more structured, serious big brother. We actually had trouble splitting them in 2007, although for us Clerc Milon still shades it, with its rich, brooding kirsch nose and weighty, fresh, dark damson and spice palate. It has excellent generosity for any vintage, let alone 2007, with dense yet ripe tannins and good grip. With 42% Merlot in the blend, this is one of the few really good Left Bank wines using such a high proportion of that variety. Impressive, traditional Pauillac in the best sense of the word.

Black-red, smoky blackcurrant fruit that shows fine, if restrained, ripeness, quite broad on the palate, a true Pauillac with seduction and charm.
Steven Spurrier

Raw black fruits on the nose. Very sweet and velvety on the palate. A bit too sweet really for a Pauillac. Almost more like a right bank wine! Not that much real substance apart from a vaguely spicy flavour on the mid palate but the tannins are better integrated than in some wines. Smooth already.
(Jancis Robinson - www.jancisrobinson.com - Apr 08)