Duhart Milon, a 4th growth classified Bordeaux wine has been off my radar for unknown reason. Ok I try to explain a bit, the price of Duhart Milon has gone through the roof when Chinese discovered this label to be almost a Lafite clone, and also a property that belongs to Lafite. Chinese even gave a nice name to this label, as “小拉菲” (means “Little Lafite”). Duhart Milon, previously also known as Château Duhart Milon Rothschild, is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The Château has 175 acres (0.71 km2) planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Quick facts about Duhart Milon:Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 70 to 80%, Merlot 20 to 30%. Length of ageing in oak barrels: 14 months (50% new)New to Duhart Milon? Hear what Robert Parker has to say when he tasted Duhart Milon: The finest Duhart Milon ever made? This structured, tannic, dense ruby/purple-tinged Pauillac offers up hints of cassis, licorice, chocolate, and earth. Medium to full-bodied with good purity, strong tannins, and undeniable elegance, it reveals a character not dissimilar from its renowned sibling, Lafite Rothschild. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot, it is unquestionably outstanding, but to my taste, slightly less opulent than the estate’s ethereal 2003. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030Score: 94, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008Almost like Lafite 2005 but for a fraction of price!Of late, the Chinese has cooled down their purchase of Lafites, so the prices of Duhart Milon also came down to more realistic levels. Thus I decided to drink a bottle of its good vintage – 2005. I’d say if 2005 cannot make it, then I’d write this label off as an over-hyped label. I drank a bottle of Lafite 2005 a couple of months ago, and was sufficiently impressed with the wine, but at $1,500 or more a bottle, obviously it is just too expensive, of which I’m even reluctant to bring them in due to high holding costs. I registered the style of this Lafite 2005 (I have fairly good palette memory). When I opened the Duhart Milon 2005, the first sip didn’t strike me as a style similar to Lafite, but after some decanting, airing and a quarter bottle down the throat, I suddenly realized how come the style is so familiar? That’s where I started searching my memory lane ….. and the DNA match came just split seconds, almost like a Lafite! Lafite is known to be the Queen of Bordeaux (and Latour being the King of Bordeaux), the Queen is always an elegant lady, and that sums up Lafite’s style. I once had a ten vintages of Lafite vertical tasting in Beijing, and I only had one conclusion – elegance. I loved Lafite for the elegance, and I have never come across another Bordeaux label as elegant as Lafite, till I drank this Duhart Milon 2005. It’s not an exact clone of Lafite, but frankly, I’d drink Duhart Milon all day and thinks that it’s a Lafite. I must confess that I am very excited about it, as paying a fraction of price to get a style of Lafite, I’m more than happy with it. So far I have popped open the 82, 03, 04, 05 vintages of Duhart Milon, they all exhibit the same elegance style throughout the vintages. The 82 I thought I smelled Lafite, the palette was still powerful with abundant fruits, and it slowly morphs itself into an elegant wine over my three hour dinner. I guess the oneologist from Lafite must have imposed it’s style onto Duhart Milon. Lynch Bages used to be called “cheap man’s Mouton”, now I have to cheekily declare Duhart Milon as a “cheap man’s Lafite”.
