Chateau Clerc Milon Rothschild 1996

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 1996 Clerc Milon was surprisingly closed on the nose, tightly wound at first but gently unfurling with scents of melted tar, desiccated orange peel and leather that are interwoven into the black fruit. I noticed a more pronounced tobacco scent developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a little more flesh than the 1996 d'Armailhac, spicy with cracked black pepper, Hoi Sin, bay leaf and Asian spice notes liberally sprinkled over the finish. Decant this for an hour before pouring folks."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very dark crimson with a little age at the rim. Fragrant and polished. Succulent. Just lovely at the moment. The tannins have already faded and the fruit is confident and lively. Real density. Quite long and very sweet Pauillac."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "From a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc, this fully mature Pauillac displayed cassis, tobacco and truffle in the aromas. With a medium body, this Pauillac ended with with sweet, black cherries and spice flavors. This Bordeaux wine is fully mature. There is no reason to age it any longer as it will not improve much from here."