2023 Château Duhart Milon-Rothschild

So much pure graphite and lead pencil here, together with blackcurrant and iodine aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with creamy and velvety tannins that are very polished. Cedar and some tobacco box. Deep and layered. Al-dente tannins. Precise. (04/2024)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Duhart-Milon pops from the glass with notes of wild blueberries, black cherries, and fresh mulberries giving way to underlying hints of cardamom, licorice, and charcoal. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of bright, black fruits with fine-grained tannins and lovely, well-knit freshness, finishing with a real skip in its step. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, with an alcohol of 13.1%. "We've been restructuring the vineyard for the past 8 years, with a little bit more Cabernet Sauvignon, although we also have good terroir for Merlot," says Saskia de Rothschild. "The planting density is lower - down to 7,000 vines per hectare." (04/2024)