Moulin de Duhart
The vintage
On the eve of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the acquisition of Château Lafite by the Rothschild family, our teams faced major challenges due to the capricious weather conditions. From December to July, unremitting rain increased the risk of mildew and hail. The summer only really started in mid-July with very high, sometimes extreme heat, which helped to restore the vines’ health and set us on the path to a great vintage. Compared to Lafite, Duhart-Milon’s terroir proved to be drier in 2018 for the Cabernet Sauvignon, but the Merlot terroir is more clayey, resulting in two different responses to the weather conditions. The Cabernet Sauvignon suffered from a lack of water over the summer, but some rain on 28th August and 5th September helped to restore the grapes’ balance and for them to ripen correctly. The Merlot’s more clayey terroir proved to be particularly well suited to the vintage, enabling some of the finest Merlot ever seen at Duhart to be obtained: a promising result for our Grand Vin, which always contains a considerable proportion of Merlot.
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 originated from both the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, Pauillac boasts exceptionnal climatic and geological conditions to make 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 subsoil.
Winemaking
Moulin de Duhart is vinified using the traditional methods for the great Médoc wines, with destemming and crushing of the grapes before fermentation in concrete and stainless-steel vats. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 30°C, followed by maceration for about ten days. After malolactic fermentation, the wines are transferred to two-year-old French oak barrels and aged for 12 months.
Tasting
Beautiful deep, glittering colour.
The nose is already expressive, offering aromas of cherries and ripe blackcurrants, with a hint of vanilla. On the palate, the attack is soft and full-bodied. The fruit from the nose reappears, with a deliciously tangy, voluptuous character. Long, precise finish leaving a pleasant impression of sweetness. A wine that should reveal its full potential around 2025/2028.
Alcohol content
14.5
Grapes
Merlot
: 60 %
Cabernet sauvignon
: 40 %