CHÂTEAU DUHART MILON ROTHSCHILD
2021 4ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Minty cool nose, is fleshed out with smart dark fruit. The palate is sophisticated with some impressive Lafite-like grandeur and concentration. You can sense the family link. Classic notes of cigar box spice, graphite mark the mid-palate. Long and well-balanced with wholesome patina of polish to the dark fruit coulis at the core. A really good Duhart, particularly considering the vintage's challenges. 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot.L&S (May 2022)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
81 Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 Merlot | 13% alc In contrast to the second wine, Moulin de Duhart, there has been an effort made to make Duhart a much more structured and intense style, and with the high levels of Cabernet, this is a stricter, more rigid red with a more pure and focussed cassis theme and more obvious oak, too. But the lighter frame makes it easy to identify, and the result is a refined wine with an immovable Pauillac identity. There is a historically low percentage of Merlot in this vintage, and some of the Cabernet from only five-year-old vines was deemed of sufficient quality to make the grade. Rating: 17 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)
This is a really pretty Duhart and fans out nicely on the palate with medium soft tannins that are polished. Gorgeous young wine. 81% cabernet sauvignon and 19% merlot. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Duhart-Milon, which is aged in 50% new oak, has a clean, precise bouquet of mineral-driven black fruit and touches of pencil lead and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and focused, with sappy black fruit and fine depth. This is a typically classically styled Duhart-Milon, though it does not quite have the persistence to rank as a top-rank vintage. But it will appeal to those who appreciate old-school Pauillac. Drinking range: 2026 - 2045 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
Precise and finessed black fruits here right from the first moments, this is high Cabernet Sauvignon, lovely black savoury fruits that suit the slighly serious feel of Duhart. Expect precision, strict tannins, straight lines, plenty of freshness but without the rusticity that you could find in older Duharts. About 15% press wine after careful extraction and a short maceration. A little more old school Duhart than we have seen over the past few years, but thoroughly enjoyable. 1st year organic conversion, 30hl/h yields. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Duhart-Milon is a potent, brooding wine. Dark fruit, herbs, licorice and incense fill out the layers nicely. The oak still needs time to come together, but that is what élevage is for. The 2021 is a serious Duhart. Whether or not it will acquire a bit more charm remains an open question. Drinking range: 2028 - 2041 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2022)
Precise and finessed black fruits here right from the first moments, this is high Cabernet Sauvignon, lovely black savoury fruits that suit the slighly serious feel of Duhart. Expect precision, strict tannins, straight lines, plenty of freshness but without the rusticity that you could find in older Duharts. About 15% press wine after careful extraction and a short maceration. A little more old school Duhart than we have seen over the past few years, but thoroughly enjoyable. 1st year organic conversion, 30hl/h yields. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2022)
Incorporating fully 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Duhart-Milon unwinds in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, cigar wrapper and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, lively and persuasively concentrated, with beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it's a classy, serious wine that reflects all the progress this estate has been making over the last decade. Rating: 91-93+ William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)
Château Duhart Milon
Pauillac Quatrième cru 1855 Château Duhart Milon is owned by its very illustrious neighbour Château Lafite-Rothschild, with whom it shares a vineyard management and wine making team. Duhart is said to have been a pirate in the service of Loius XV who settled in the Médoc in his retirement. Indeed, the "pirate's house" stood by the Gironde until the 1950's and is pictured on the label. His vineyard was united with Mandavy-Milon in the 1830's by the Castéja family. Earning 4th Growth status was a high point for Duhart-Milon with the next 100+ years being a period of some decline. Vineyards were sold off (notably to the Batailleys) and the wines declined considerably in quality. By the time Baron Eric de Rothschild bought Duhart-Milon in 1962 it was in a very sorry state with barely 17ha under vine. Rothschild ownership saw the vineyards completely re-planted and the chais (and a chais is all there is, there never has been an actual château) renovated. Today the wines are made with the same meticulous care as Lafite, but sell at a fraction of the price, making Duhart-Milon a bit of a bargain. Château Duhart-Milon sits immediately west/inland of Château Lafite-Rothschild, facing Château Lafon-Rochet across the Jalle du Breuil in Saint Estèphe. The 73ha of vineyard are planted with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. The Grand Vin is aged in oak barrels made by the Rothschild cooperage for up to 18 months. The second wine is called Moulin de Duhart, and a lighter styled third wine called Baron de Milon.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.