06s: Durfort Vivens, Clerc Milon, Dom de Chevalier

[rjsussex]

The last of my 06s to arrive and I'm even more bullish about the vintage having drunk first bottles of these. Am drinking the second bottle of the Durfort as I type and toasting Comte Flaneur for pointing me to the last case in UK at en primeur price (£17.50 all in). One merchant in UK says that 06s have more concentration than 02s and are more serious than 04s - I'd go with that.

- Durfort. Lovely natural colour, highly expressive Cabernet-pure Margaux aromatics (violets, wet stones), structured, and balanced and long with good mouth-perfume persistence and quite grippy but sweet tannins. This will need some time for the fruit to unfurl but already has good minerality and very evident class - textbook sweetness and austerity in balance. £17.50! V glad to have 3 cases.
- Clerc Milon. This and the below are memory-notes. I know Jim didn't rate this and I was a little surprised by it being the least structured (and least deeply coloured) of the three wines here but I like it very much for its lovely Pauillacy tobacco and cassis nose and svelte and sleek palate - this is more about subtlety and restraint and in that sense reminded me of the fine Gruaud 06 but that is a better wine I think. Only one case and I'll watch it with interest. Paid about £22.
-Dom de Chevalier. Paid about £23, got 2 cases. This is the wine that really sang and excited. Best DdChev for me ever and I love the property (haven't yet broached my half case of the 05.) This has everything in perfect balance and is a bigger wine than, say, the 04 (which has a green streak): there's a lovely power and richness without compromising the property's usual refinement and authority. Lovely long finish. Another superb bargain - top drawer stuff. This may still be available at a fair price as DdC tends to attract less attention.

Best

Richard

[AlexR]

Richard,

Good to hear from you and I'm glad you found wines representing such excellent value for money!

Alex

[JimHow]

I'm glad you like those wines, Richard, and thank you for your notes. I'll have to revisit the 2006 Clerc Milon, which I found quite tart the one time I had it. Almost without exception, though, I have much preferred the 2002 left bankers to the 2006 left bankers. But that's what make the world go round, nobody is right or wrong.