2020 Château Clerc Milon Pastourelle de Clerc Milon Pauillac

EN-PRIMEUR-EXPECTED MARCH 2023

Pastourelle de Clerc Milon, the product of an exceptional terroir, is the second wine of Château Clerc Milon, a Classified Growth from 1855 in Pauillac. The pastourelle is a traditional dance that evokes the romantic encounter of a knight with a shepherdess: the name refers to the dancing couple that adorns the label of the Grand Vin. This precious miniature from the Museum of Wine in Art at Château Mouton Rothschild, made of gold, enamel and pearls, belonged to Catherine II, the Empress of Russia, and is inspired by characters from the Commedia dell'Arte. Baroness Philippine de Rothschild chose it as the Clerc Milon emblem because of her love of the theatre.

Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is a round and smooth wine and charms with the elegant richness of its aromas and flavors. It is also a living proof of the significant quality improvements that have been made to the property since the arrival of Baron Philippe and his descendants. The Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is made from grapes grown in the vineyard of the famous Classified Growth, it is vinified and bottled with the same meticulous care: the grapes are harvested in small crates and the wine is fermented in the Clerc Milon barrel room and aged in oak barrels barrels in the traditional way. All the conditions are there to obtain the elegance and richness of a great Pauillac. 2009 was the first year of Pastourelle de Clerc Milon, whose label features the two dancers from Château Clerc Milon.

Château Clerc Milon is located in the northeast of the Pauillac appellation, on the beautiful Mousset ridge overlooking the Gironde. The winery has some 41 hectares of vines planted on a gentle slope that promotes both natural drainage and exposure to sunlight, while the nearby river creates a microclimate that protects the vines from spring frost, reduces the risk of hail and cooling in the summer. The soil consists of sandy gravel and clay-limestone. The vineyard is planted with 5 typical varieties of the region: Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (37%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Petit Verdot (2%) and Carmenere (1%). The average age of the vines is 53 years, probably one of the highest in the Medoc. The density of the vines is high, varying between 8,500 and 10,000 vines per hectare, depending on the plot.