Moulin de Duhart
The vintage
At Duhart-Milon, the ideal moment to start harvesting our Merlot planted on gravelly soil arrived on 19 September. Those growing on clay were ready a little later. Once again this year, there was excellent complementarity between the Merlot grapes from the gravel plots (riper) and those from the clay plots (fresher and later ripening). This enabled us to obtain plenty of maturity for this grape variety, which accounts for a third of the blend, while at the same time preserving the freshness of the fruit. Our Cabernet Sauvignon vines seemed to be better prepared for the heat this year; the ripening process was not checked in July despite the heatwave, and there was then a progressive evolution of the berries during the more temperate weather in August. A little rain in mid-September was very beneficial for the end of ripening stage on Duhart-Milon’s gravelly soil, which is more arid than the Lafite plateau.
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.
Vinification
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, dark colour.
Still reserved, the nose reveals superb roasted notes. These are followed by aromas of ripe red fruit, particularly fresh cherries.
On the palate, the notes remain delicate. The wine gradually develops body while remaining very well-balanced. The hint of sweetness on the finish is characteristic of the 2019 vintage.
Alcohol content
13.5
Grapes
Merlot
: 58 %
Cabernet sauvignon
: 42 %