Pauillac Grand Cru Classé estate with one vineyard holding, old Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere vines, and two named wines.
The producer
Château Clerc Milon is a Pauillac estate with the 1855 Grand Cru Classé designation and a vineyard held in one continuous piece. Baron Philippe de Rothschild acquired it in 1970, and the third generation of the family, Camille, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, now continues its development with a focus on modernity. The vineyard retains Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1903 and Carmenere planted in 1947. Close to 50% of its vines are farmed using organic techniques.
Known for
Pauillac Cabernet and old Carmenere vines
Notable facts
Château Clerc Milon holds the 1855 Grand Cru Classé designation in Pauillac.
Baron Philippe de Rothschild acquired the estate in 1970.
The estate retains Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted in 1903 and Carmenere vines planted in 1947.
Close to 50% of the vines are farmed using organic techniques.
The story
The Vines That Stayed
When Baron Philippe de Rothschild's team surveyed the vineyard at Clerc-Milon after the 1970 acquisition, they found a plot of Carménère vines — a variety the Médoc had largely abandoned in the decades following phylloxera because it ripened erratically in the region's cool, damp autumns and was difficult to distinguish from Merlot in the vineyard. Across Bordeaux, Carménère had been pulled up and replaced with more reliable varieties; it was a practical decision no one questioned at the time. Rothschild's team chose to keep the plot rather than grub it out. That decision means Clerc-Milon now carries one of the only surviving Carménère plantings in the classified Médoc — a small fraction of the blend that most neighbouring châteaux cannot match, because their vines were pulled up long ago.
From the atlas
Château Clerc Milon
A Pauillac estate with the 1855 Grand Cru Classé designation, one continuous vineyard holding, and a Rothschild family history since 1970.
At A Glance
Category
Detail
Appellation
Pauillac
Classification
1855 Grand Cru Classé
Vineyard form
One continuous vineyard holding
Named old plantings
Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1903 and Carmenere planted in 1947
Wines
Château Clerc Milon 2022 and Pastourelle de Clerc Milon 2023
The Producer
Château Clerc Milon is developed by the Rothschild family, whose third generation is represented by Camille, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild. They continue to develop the estate with a focus on modernity.
The vineyard retains Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted in 1903 and Carmenere vines planted in 1947. These Carmenere vines are the oldest remaining Carmenere vines in the Bordeaux appellation. Close to 50% of the vines are farmed using organic techniques.
Place
Château Clerc Milon is in the Pauillac appellation, where it is held as one continuous vineyard. A single holding keeps the estate's wines within one Pauillac property rather than dividing them among separate addresses.
Wines
Château Clerc Milon 2022 is the grand vin. It shows bilberry and wild berry fruit with spice, pepper and violet, followed by liquorice and mineral notes. Silky, well integrated tannins support black fruit and cocoa powder.
Pastourelle de Clerc Milon 2023 is the second wine. It has a deep garnet colour, raspberry and redcurrant aromas, and delicate violet floral notes. The two wines set a darker berry profile beside a red fruited, floral expression.
Final Word
Château Clerc Milon combines a single vineyard holding in Pauillac with the 1855 Grand Cru Classé designation, old Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere vines, and continuing Rothschild family development.