Château Duhart-Milon
The vintage
The vintage began with a few frost episodes in April, but damage was limited thanks to the late start of the Merlot and Cabernet. April, marked by good rainfall, allowed for healthy vegetative growth. Flowering started at the end of May with rapid vine growth, while June brought heavy rains, creating significant downy mildew pressure, which was well managed. A long period of drought, combined with the heatwaves in July, subjected the old vines to severe water stress by mid-August. The harvest, completed on September 27th, revealed an unusual profile for Duhart-Milon, with Cabernet displaying surprising depth and richness.
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. Following this rigorous selection, the wine is blended and transferred to oak barrels (50% new).
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.
Grapes
Tasting
The nose, somewhat discrete at this stage, is marked by great depth, hinting at the harmony of a bouquet of dark fruit. It is complemented by delicate spicy notes brought by well-integrated oak.
The attack is fresh, delicate, and supple. The wine gradually takes its place and reveals a breadth that fills the palate on the finish. It is both very Duhart and very atypical, like many 2022s.
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