1947 | Ch√¢teau Grand-Puy Ducasse | Pauillac

Producer Information

Ch√¢teau Duhart-Milon, previously known as Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, is a wine estate based in the Pauillac appellation of the M√©doc, just north of Bordeaux city. The estate was ranked as a fourth growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification and is owned by its illustrious neighbor, Lafite Rothschild, and shares its vineyard management and winemaking teams. The grand vin (the eponymous, flagship wine) is known for its elegance, combined with Paulliac’s typical power. The winery buildings are based in central Pauillac town while the single 76-hectare (190-acre) vineyard block is situated just to the west of the Lafite Rothschild vineyard in northern Pauillac. The vineyards lie around the hamlet of Milon and facing Lafon-Rochet to the north in Saint-Est√®phe. The soils are a mix of fine gravel and sand on limestone, and are planted two-thirds to Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third to Merlot. This makeup is regularly reflected in the final wine although the precise proportion of the grand vin blend can vary with each vintage ‚Äì for example, the 2012 features 53 percent Merlot. The winery buildings were completely renovated in 2003 and vinification takes place in vats designated for specific vineyard plots. The grand vin is aged for up to 18 months in oak of which around half is new oak. Duhart-Milon produces a second wine called Moulin de Duhart, and in previous vintages an occasional third wine, Baron de Milon, is also released. The ch√¢teau’s average production is around 30,000 cases a year. The property is said to derive its name from the captain of a privateer (effectively a state-sponsored sea raider) named Duhart who sailed in the service of Louis XV and retired to the M√©doc. The “Pirate’s House” stood by the Gironde until the 1950s, and endures on the ch√¢teau’s label. Following the 1855 Classification, the estate underwent a period of decline until it was bought by Baron Eric de Rothschild in 1962. The vineyards had to be replanted, and as a result, wines from the 2000 vintage onwards are generally held to be superior to those of the previous few decades due to the increasing vine age.