93pts James Suckling

Slightly cooked fruit on the nose, with a toasted oak and meaty character. Full bodied, with round and chewy tannins and loads of fruit. Big and burly, I like it.

93pts Wine Spectator

Loads of licorice and currants follow through to a full-bodied palate, with lots of refined tannins and a long, long finish. This is very structured and layered.

91pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2003 has a typical ’03 bouquet where there is a sense of some dead fruit. It is there, but it is not animated. The palate is sweet and sensual on the liquorice-tinged entry. There is more cohesion and freshness than many of its peers with a delightful balsamic tinged finish. This is very fine for the vintage, even if the bottle in London a couple of weeks before showed even better.

90pts International Wine Cellar

Liqueur-like dark berries complicated by truffle, leather and cooler herbal notes. Fat, sweet and rich in a rather full-blown style. This was quite closed a year ago in barrel but now offers considerable early appeal. Finishes with suave tannins. 

Wine Enthusiast

This Clerc-Milon, under the same winemaking team as Mouton Rothschild, is an attractive wine, not heavy, already quite soft. It seems to have been heavily extracted, in a New World style, with new wood aromas and flavors, losing something of Pauillac, but a winner in that it's immediately attractive. Imported by Diageo Chateau & Estates. 

Winemaker Notes

The wine has a deep and glittering colour, shading to brick at the rim, and a solar, intense, slightly minty nose which opens on aromas of almond, candied quince, roast coffee and liquorice.

On the palate, it immediately impresses with its sweetness, power and density, revealing perfectly mature and still somewhat forward tannins. The flavours recall the aromas of the nose, expressing fully ripe fruit, coffee and a touch of resin.

An impression of fullness in the mouth and excellent balance accompany a voluptuous finish, for an untypical vintage which is ready to drink.

Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere and 3% Cabernet Franc