CHATEAU DUHART-MILON
This fourth growth Pauillac property neighbors its first growth Barons de Rothschild stablemate Lafite-Rothschild. The estate was originally known as Milon before becoming the retirement residence of a man named Duhart, who was supposedly a pirate during Louis XV's reign. Indeed, the 'pirate's house' stood on the property until the 1950s and is the inspiration for the estate's wine labels. Duhart-Milon was subsequently owned by the Castéja family, before they sold it in 1937, after which it went into a period of decline with five owners in just 25 years. This decline was stemmed in 1962 when the property was acquired by the Rothschilds, who replanted the vineyards, bought good plots of nearby vines and also rebuilt the cellar and winery, eventually expanding the estate to 76 hectares and adding a state of the art cellar.
The property is managed the same wine making and vineyard management team as Lafite. Their uncompromising approach has improved the wine from its formerly austere style to a new level of quality with notable successes in 2005, 2009 and 2010. The wine is usually a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, and spends 18 months in barrels made at the domaine's own cooperage, 50-60% of which are renewed each vintage.