2009 Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac, Bordeaux

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenère. Picked 23 Sep – 6 Oct. Deep moody colour. Pretty sumptuous and polished – super-ripe and flattering. Very sweet and rich although, like the other wines from this stable, some slightly rugged tannins. No obvious alcohol but fairly ripe and plush, plus notable acidity. Fine boned with attractive sweetness but no knock-out ingredient X. Rather drying finish, imprecise. Certainly a defiantly more traditional style than some of its peers – odd, or perhaps predictable? – in view of the fact that it used to be criticised for being too New World!

This fat, fleshy, dense purple-colored 2009 exhibits abundant notes of creme de cassis, roasted espresso, chocolate, berry fruit and underling hints of high quality, unsmoked cigar tobacco.

Composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and a touch of Carmenere, it reveals plenty of structure and tannin, but the evolved aromatics offer a deceptive view that the wine will be drinkable early on. I do not think this is the case as the tannins kick in once it hits the palate. This seriously endowed, powerful, boisterous, muscular Pauillac should hit its prime between 2017 and 2035.

Ch. Clerc-Milon, Pauillac delivers blackberry galore, with fabulous floral and currant undertones. Complex on the nose. Full-bodied, offering chewy tannins and lots of black licorice and currant character. Chewy, but reserved at the same time. A top Clerc. 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 44 percent Merlot, 4 percent Cabernet Franc, 1 percent Petit Verdot and 1 percent Carmenère.