Le Petit Mouton 2023

Aromas of dark berries, cassis and cigar wrapper introduce the 2023 Le Petit Mouton, a medium-bodied, fleshy wine with good depth and density, its lively core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a penetrating finish. It's a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

The 2023 Le Petit-Mouton is aged in 50% new oak. It has an intense nose, mainly black fruit commingling with briar and light estuarine scents. Perhaps the aromatics feel a bit "secretive" at present. The palate is medium-bodied with a concentrated entry. This is a voluminous and powerful Pauillac for the vintage, driven by that 79% Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s a fine bitter edge on the finish; give this Le Petit Mouton three to five years in bottle.

Bright ruby in the glass with a herbal, sappy nose of hedgerow fruit and cigar leaf. The palate is pithy and bright, midweight with airy layers of red fruit and wild flowers. A delicate, approachable Petit Mouton.

This is a tighter and more compact Petit Mouton with a full-bodied, compact palate that is framed nicely by the tannins. Savory and juicy. Structured. Contained. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better than 2022?

The 2023 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It slowly emerges from the glass with powerful scents of cassis, plum preserves, and tar plus underlying nuances of menthol and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate is soft and refreshing, with just enough mid-palate fruit and a mineral-laced finish. The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.74. The alcohol is 13.3%.

Slate and grip, clear again here that this is not the most exuberant of vintages, it's classical with a serious backbone. That doesn't mean that Petit Mouton isn't out to make you happy, and you can expect plenty of black chocolate, damson, black cherry, signature cocoa bean, espresso and salted cracker, but the tannins are pretty fierce. Harvest September 7 to 30 (but 2/3 of grapes coming in after September 21), 39% of production.

The 2023 Le Petit-Mouton is fabulous. It could easy be a Grand Vin at another address. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass, the 2023 impresses with its notable palate presence. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, cinnamon, rose petal and new leather are some of the many notes that build. The 2023 is seriously impressive. Wow! 2027-2043

79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Dark fruit with a smoky note. Appetising wine with plenty of tension but an intensity of fruit to match. Tannins plentiful but fine. Needs to fill out a little. (JL) 13.3%
Drink 2030 – 2042