Château Duhart-Milon Pauillac (Grand Cru Classé) 2016 (750ml)

The Rothschild family acquired Château Duhart-Milon, a “4er Cru” in the 1855 classification, from the Castejas of Pauillac, in 1962. The property was named after the Sieur of Duhart, gun-runner to Louis XIV, who originally owned the property, and from the name of the little hamlet of Milon which separates the Duhart-Milon vineyard from that of Château Lafite. The vineyard covers 188 acres and is planted with the classical cépages of Médoc: Cabernet Sauvignon (67%) and Merlot (33%). The property has been managed since 1962 by a single team that, due to the proximity of the two properties, oversees both Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Duhart-Milon. Both Châteaux use the same traditional techniques based on strict control of yields, harvesting by hand, and numerous manual tasks throughout the year.

In the early 18th century, Pauillac began widespread grape cultivation at the urging of the Lafite lords. The Milon wines served as additional income for Lafite’s master, and became Château Lafite’s second wine. The 1855 classification recognized the quality of Duhart-Milon’s soil by ranking it as the only 4th growth wine in Pauillac. Between 1830 and 1840, the Castéja family was left an inheritance by both Mandavy and the Duhart widow (35 acres). The family thus possessed a 99 acre vineyard that was named Duhart- Milon. The property changed ownership many times over the years and suffered a decline in the quality of its’ wines. The property was named after the Sieur of Duhart, gun-runner to Louis XIV, who originally owned the property, and from the name of the little hamlet of Milon which separates the Duhart-Milon vineyard from Château Lafite.

In 1962, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired the property from the Castéja family. Since the acquisition by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) the vineyards have been totally overhauled and the chais renovated. A finishing touch to a remarkable 40 year effort to reclaim the Médoc 4th growth wine ranking for Château Duhart-Milon.

A delicate wine with some oak, but yet very refined and doesn’t dominate. The fruit is subtle and develops after the wine has had some time to breathe. The powerful attack makes way for a rounded, fullbodied mid-palate before finishing on fresh, slightly spicy notes that are a little intense. This wine will benefit greatly from 6 to 8 years in the cellar.

Blend: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot

Critical Acclaim

JS95
James Suckling
Enticing aromas of crushed berries, blackcurrants, sweet tobacco, hot stones and licorice follow through to a full body, chewy and dusty tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A juicy and savory young 2016. Try after 2024.
D95
Decanter
I remember how delicious this was at en primeur, and it remains a stately, elongated, perfectly poised Pauillac. It's austere, certainly, but is also full of rich fruit pared down by a slate texture, the sense of minerality scraping along the palate as you approach the blackcurrant leaf and tobacco finish. It's excellent quality, and clearly a vintage that suits the personality of Duhart - juicy but restrained. Matured in 50% new oak.
JD94
Jeb Dunnuck
Ranking with the finest vintages of this wine to date, the 2016 Château Duhart Milon shows how successful the Médoc was in 2016. About as pure class as it gets, with full-bodied notes of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, graphite, and leafy herbs, this beauty hits the palate with sweet tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a layered, deep, powerful texture. It’s about as sexy as Pauillac can be and has 2-3 decades ahead of it.
WE93
Wine Enthusiast

This bottling shows the vastly improved quality of this estate that still represents good value for the appellation and for its provenance as part of the Lafite-Rothschild stable. The wine is structured while full of ripe berry fruits. It has weight and density, rich with swathes of delicious fruits as well as tannins. It will develop well; Best after 2023.

RP93
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot, the 2016 Duhart-Milon has a deep garnet-purple color and features plums preserves, wild blueberries and cassis scents with touches of violets and underbrush with a waft of tobacco. Medium-bodied and elegant, with a backbone of finely grained tannins and oodles of freshness, it has a great core of perfumed black fruit, finishing on an earthy note.
WS93
Wine Spectator
This is very vivid, with racy violet, cassis and plum aromas and flavors coursing through, laced with a mouthwatering anise note and leading to a long, focused finish. Displays a terrific iron underpinning. Best from 2024 through 2038.