Chateau Duhart-Milon

The origins of Duhart-Milon are somewhat obscure, and the history of the estate preceding the Revolution is lost in the mists of time. The name Milon refers to a small village of the same name, which is not far from the vineyard in the north-western part of the Pauillac commune. In the early 18th century, Pauillac district began widespread grape cultivation at the urging of the owners of Lafite. The Milon wines served as additional income for Lafite’s master, and became Château Lafite’s second wine. So early on, the soil was acknowledged as being of particularly high quality. Lafite’s owner at that time was the Marquis Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur, whom Louis XV referred to as “The Wine Prince.”

Duhart no doubt refers to one of the earlier owners, although there is no useful information on him, or how he came to be proprietor of the estate. Nevertheless, when the estate first appears in the texts concerning Bordeaux, early in the 19th Century, the vineyards seem to have been expansive, judging by the volume of wine produced, and the quality was also high.

At this time the estate was in the ownership of a gentleman named Mandavy, until during the 1830s when he died. Between 1830 and 1840, the Castéja family was left an inheritance by both Mandavy and the Duhart widow (14 hectares). The family thus possessed a 40-hectare vineyard that was named Duhart-Milon. And during Pierre Castéja’s tenure the property was deemed a quatrième cru when classified in 1855.

Pierre Castéja’s descendents ran the estate after his death, employing André Delon, who also ran the show at Léoville-Las-Cases, as manager. The Castéja family remained in possession of the estate during the second half of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century. Château Duhart-Milon was then one of largest Pauillac estates with around 50 hectares. But it is a familiar tale; war and depression inhibited investment and development, and with the passage of time Delon and the Castéja family were forced to sell off some vineyards, whilst the vines in others grew old and died. The proprietor of Batailley (before the split that gave rise to Haut-Batailley) bought 15 hectares. In the post-war years the vineyard covered a bare 17 hectares (on an estate covering 110 hectares), and the wine was as good as nonexistent. The property passed through the hands of five different owners in just a quarter of a century, this lack of continuity only serving to worsen the situation, which was only made worse by frost in 1956. When it was rescued from an ignominious end by the Rothschild family in 1962, the estate was in need of massive reinvestment.

The vineyards were completely cleared, drainage installed, and new vines planted in a similar proportion to that found at Lafite-Rothschild. The estate and vineyard expanded dramatically with the purchase of new plots and an active program of replanting, the vineyard reaching 42 hectares in 1973, and was up to 71 hectares by 2001, on an estate that now covers 152 hectares. Today the vines, which are harvested by hand, remain predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (69%), with 28% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, on fairly typical soils of fine gravel, mixed with Aeolian sands, on a tertiary limestone bedrock. These vines are now nicely mature, just one part of the explanation for the consistent improvement seen in the wines over recent years and decades. Each vineyard parcels is isolated initially in order to judge its quality. The wine sees a temperature-controlled fermentation with a cuvaison of up to 25 days. After malolactic fermentation the wine goes into oak barrels (produced in the cooperage at Lafite), the length of time depending on the cuvée. The wine is racked every three months, and then fined using egg whites before bottling. Several tastings from each vat are then performed in December, to ensure a strict selection of fine wines. The blend for Chateau Duhart-Milon the grand vin (typically 20000 cases per annum), is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 80 to 85%, the balance Merlot. It goes into oak for up to 18 months, with usually in the order of 50 to 55% new barrels each vintage. The quality now having returned to Château Duhart-Milon vintages such as 1986, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000 and a few others are extremely promising wines.

There is a second wine, introduced in 1986, called Moulin de Duhart (typically 6000 cases per annum). This is a much more even blend, with typically 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, and it will spend up to ten months in two year old barrels before bottling. As is often the case, some lesser wines are sold off for blending as generic Pauillac.
The average production of Château Duhart-Milon, Moulin de Duhart and Baron de Milon is of 30,000 cases per year and bottled at the Château.
Nowadays’ Owner: Domaines Barons de Rothschild

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