Chateau Duhart Milon Pauillac, Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Duhart Milon, and Pauillac Fourth Growth with wine tasting notes and wine-with-food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, the history of the property, and information about the vineyards and the winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Duhart Milon History, Overview

Originally known simply as Chateau Milon, (original name,) at one time, in its formative years, the estate was known as the second wine of Chateau Lafite. The story about how this came to be is interesting. The owner of Lafite at that time was the Marquis Nicolas-Alexandre de Segur.

King Louis XV called him The Wine Prince because of his extensive vineyard holdings in Bordeaux. The Milon vineyards were thought of as good, but of course, not as good as Lafite, which is how the wine came to be thought of as the second wine for Lafite.

In 1815, the Pauillac property was considered by some people as a fourth growth Bordeaux wine in the making. In those days, the wine was sold under the name of Chateau Mandavy-Milon. Between 1830 and 1840, the Casteja family became the owners of the estate from an inheritance.

The label of Duhart Milon, according to family tradition came about from an old legend written about one of their ancestors, Sir Duhart. Sir Duhart, was rumored to have been a pirate for Louis XV. He settled at Pauillac for retirement. The “pirate’s house” on the Pauillac port existed up to the 1950s. That original building inspired the label for the Duhart-Milon wines.

The Casteja family remained in possession of Duhart Milon until the first part of the 20th century. At the time, Chateau Duhart Milon was one of the larger Pauillac estates with around 50 hectares of vines.

In 1937, the result of successive inheritances led to the sale of Duhart Milon. The Left Bank property went through five different owners in just 25 years. Coupled with the splitting up of the vineyards and the frost of 1956, the quality of Duhart Milon continued declining until the Rothschild family purchased the property in 1962.

At that time of the sale, Chateau Duhart Milon included 110 hectares of land, of which only 17 hectares were planted with vines. The entire vineyard was in desperate need of replanting. Major renovations were urgently needed in the vineyards, which demanded work on the drainage and replanting.

The size of their vineyards was also increased with purchases of other parcels adding to the size of their Medoc holdings. New cellars needed to be built as well. Chateau Duhart Milon remains one of the few 1855 Classified Growth estates without an actual chateau. Here, all you find are the cellars, vatting rooms, and barrel-aging cellars.

During the period from 1970 to 2000, the vineyards almost doubled in size! Additionally, they constructed new cellars and renovated and modernized their wine-making facilities as well in 2003. By 2008, the wine of Duhart Milon increased in quality, stature, and price.

Much of the price increase had to do with the association with Chateau Lafite Rothschild, which had by that time, become the most in-demand, collectible wine in China. By the time the 2015 vintage was offered, prices had dropped to a more affordable price level.

Duhart Milon completed construction on new cellars and vat rooms in 2020. The new modern cellars allowed the estate to vinify on a parcel-by-parcel selection for the first time. The results were clearly visible with the 2020 vintage which showed more precision, character, and excitement in the wine.

Chateau Duhart Milon Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 76-hectare vineyard of Chateau Duhart Milon is planted to 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. This makes Chateau Duhart Milon one of the few 1855 Classified Growths with only two grape varieties planted in their vineyards. The entire estate covers 152 hectares. With 76 hectares under vine, the remainder of the property is devoted to greenery and pastures.

The vineyard of Chateau Duhart Milon has a terroir of gravel, sand, limestone, and clay soils. The average age of the vines is 30 years old. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 7,500 vines per hectare. The vineyard can be divided into close to 40 separate parcels.

The Duhart Milon vineyards are located in the north of Pauillac, on the western side of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, on the Milon hillside, which is not far from the Carruades plateau. This places the vineyard quite close to Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Clerc Milon. However, here you find a slightly cooler terroir, due to its northern exposure. That is one of the reasons why you find more Merlot planted here.

The naturally cooler soils provide more freshness to the wine and allow for later picking. The terroir of Chateau Duhart Milon is a combination of gravel, sand, and limestone soils. The Duhart Milon vineyards are unique in Pauillac, as the vines are, for the most part, located in 1 single, large block of vines.

To produce the wine of Chateau Duhart Milon, vinification takes place in 40 temperature-controlled, stainless vats of various sizes, allowing for parcel-by-parcel vinification. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. Chateau Duhart Milon is then aged in an average of 50% new, French oak barrels for 14 to 16 months, depending on the vintage. There is no actual chateau, the wines are made in a cellar located in the village of Pauillac.

The best vintages of Chateau Duhart Milon are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, and 2005. Older vintages should be approached with some caution.

In part, because the vines were young, the wine made at Chateau Duhart Milon during the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s was not as good as it should have been. That changed starting with the 2000 vintage and began improving with the 2005 vintage. However, the wines took another big jump up in quality starting with the 2018 vintage.

There is a second wine, Moulin de Duhart, that was created in 1986. The estate also produces a third wine, Baron de Milon. In 2021, they added a white Bordeaux wine, Duhart Milon Blanc. Initially, the wine blends 80% Semillon with 18% Sauvignon Blanc and a small touch of Sauvignon Gris. On average, close to 30,000 cases of wine are produced here at each vintage.

When to Drink Chateau Duhart Milon, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Duhart Milon needs time in the cellar. But it can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Duhart Milon is usually better with about 8-12 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Duhart Milon reaches its peak maturity between 10-30 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Duhart Milon with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Duhart Milon is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Duhart Milon is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Duhart Milon is also good with Asian dishes, and hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, and pasta.

Chateau Duhart Milon became much more expensive in 2009. This is because of the massive, increased Asian demand for wine, due to the fact it shared ownership with the First Growth estate, Chateau Lafite Rothschild. However, by 2012, prices had slipped for the wine, making it more of an attractive purchase.

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