92 1995 Chateau Clerc Milon 3/9/07 ($50)
Color: Deep garnet with a little onion skin. Excellent for 11+. (3.5) Bouquet: Pencil shavings, pistachio and spearmint with integrated blackberry/cassis fruit. Silky. (3.5) Body: Excellent acidity and tannin structure that is smooth with the present level of fruit and nuances. Solid middleweight. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but more understated. (2.5) Finish: Parallels bouquet step-for-step. Long and silky. Very classic Bordeaux. Has a tangy clay terroir component here. (3.5)
Overall: This improved as it breathed and as we went down the bottle. Not the biggest of Pauillacs, but a very fine example. This is about balance and structure and nuance, not size and fruit. It’s peak, but could improve in the next 2-4 years and should live for another 10. (16.0)