Under the aegis of Mouton Rothschild, long in the shadow of his elder, Clerc Milon, 5th Cru Classé of Pauillac, has regained its grace. Rigorous management, new cellars associated with a dedicated team set Clerc Milon and his Pastourelle back in the spotlights. A paced and elegant revival.
Back on stage II Under the aegis of Mouton Rothschild, long in the shadow of his elder, Clerc Milon, 5th Cru Classé of Pauillac, has regained its grace. Rigorous management, new cellars associated with a dedicated team set Clerc Milon and his Pastourelle back in the spotlights. A paced and elegant revival. The history of Clerc Milon dates back to the 18th century. After the division of the Lafite fief during the Revolution, it became the property of the Clerc family in 1789, 5th Classified Growth in 1855, then left abandoned with the successions, to finally revive thanks to the impetus given by the Rothschild family who bought it in 1970. The project was be marked by two major stages. In 2007, the restructuring of the winery led by architect Bernard Mazières and scenographer Richard Peduzzi with the implementation of a modern vathouse, entirely managed by gravity. Then in 2011, the chateau came into existence, a rectangular building in a sleek style, covered with wooden slats, with a vast terrace of exotic wood, dominating the vineyard which now covers 41 hectares. “This is an exceptional terroir, located between two Premiers Crus Classés, Mouton and Lafite, 247 different plots worked in sustainable viticulture, mixing organic and biodynamic practices. The 5 typical grape varieties of the region are planted on soils composed of sandy gravels and a clay and limestone base with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (37%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and the rest in Petit Verdot and Carmenere”, says Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, the estate manager, who spent 10 years in the Napa Valley, at Opus One as a crop manager and deputy winemaker. In 2009, his arrival at Clerc Milon marked the emancipation of the estate, which was given for the first time a director with a dedicated team of twenty people, accompanied by Frédéric Faure, master cellar, coming from Gian Paolo Motta's vineyard in Tuscany and assisted by Eric Boissenot to choose the right scores. “The whole team now has the technical tools to gain precision. It's a painstaking work, we will peck among the 247 plots to get complexity, freshness and persistency on the palate. Clerc Milon is a wine that expresses itself especially in length, it is its strength and its progress margin”, underlines Philippe Dhalluin, general director of Baron Philippe de Rothschild before adding: “It is also the only Cru Classé that looks at 2 First!” While dancing ... because the label of Clerc Milon is illustrated by a couple of dancers reproducing a 17th-century German goldsmith's work made of gold, enamel and pearls, exhibited at the Museum of Wine in the Art of Mouton Rothschild. This miniature, which belongs to the Empress Catherine of Russia, is inspired by characters from the commedia dell'arte, dear to Philippine de Rothschild, actress for a long time. These two dancers are to be seen on the label of the second wine, Pastourelle Clerc Milon, launched in 2009, softer, vinified seeking the smooth and lush side, dedicated to restaurants.
Bénédicte Chapard
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