Winemaker Notes
The vineyard covers 50 hectares and is planted with the classical cépages of Médoc: Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Merlot (21%) and a small amount of "Petit Verdot". This cépage has always been traditionally planted at Duhart-Milon and a certain excess of it in the pre-war vintages might explain their slightly flinty hardiness.
Full bodied, with firm tannins. The early tastings show signs of a wine with fine spicy and very ripe black fruit aromas. The mouth is structured with elegant tannins and great length.
Blend: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Good core of fruit, with silky tannins and a medium to long finish of licorice, smoke and berry. Very good red. Best after 2007.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.