Château Duhart-Milon
The vintage
After a particularly hot winter with not much rain, the bud burst took place in the second half of March. Growth was then slowed down by the cold weather in April.
May was hot with little rain leading to early flowering which was slow and staggered due to changing weather conditions and spread out bud burst. Berry setting was good followed by a dry and hot summer. During the harvest, climatic conditions were very good.
Location
Pauillac is located on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, approximately 40km north of Bordeaux. With the tempering influence of the estuary and a great diversity of soils originating from both the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, Pauillac boasts exceptional climate and geological conditions for the production of outstanding wines.
Terroir
Château Duhart-Milon’s vineyard consists of a single block of vines adjacent to Château Lafite Rothschild, on the hillside to the west of the Carruades plateau. The property has 76 hectares of vines. The soil consists of fine gravel mixed with aeolian sand on a tertiary limestone
Winemaking
Château Duhart-Milon is made according to traditional Bordeaux methods. The grapes are carefully sorted and placed in concrete or stainless-steel vats depending on their provenance for alcoholic fermentation. Gentle pumping over is carried out during fermentation to optimize extraction. Total maceration time is about 20 days before racking. Once the wines have undergone malolactic fermentation, they are transferred to French oak barrels made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac. Each barrel is tasted individually in December in order to determine which ones will be selected for the grand vin. Following this rigorous selection, the wine is blended and transferred to oak barrels (50% new).
Grapes
Tasting
Nose of a beautiful complexity revealing notes of fruits, undergrowth and leather.
The mouth is full with a voluptuous attack revealing notes of spices. Great length with an expressive finish and present tannins ensuring a good maturity. We find the strength and rigor of Duhart.