| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Originally classified as a Second Growth, Mouton made some of the greatest red Bordeaux wines ever in the period after the end of the Second World war and was finally upgraded to First Growth in 1973. Every year since the 1940's a different artist has decorated the label. Since the arrival of Philippe Dallhuin in 2003, Mouton has been on fine form. Grapes are now selected only from the core original vineyard site and the wine is always a classic example of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Pauillac.
The 2016 Mouton Rothschild bowled me over when I tasted it from barrel. Philippe Dhalluin compares it to the 1986 in terms of intensity of fruit, although there is more maturity and refinement in the tannins apropos of the 2016. Bottled in July 2018, this has an intense bouquet with pixelated black fruit, crushed stone, hints of blue fruit and a touch of India ink. But it is the delineation and focus that take your breath away. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannin framing the pure black currant and cassis fruit. The acidity is pitch-perfect, and there is a gentle but insistent grip toward the extraordinarily long finish. Racking my brains to think of another Mouton Rothschild that I have tasted over the last 20 years that was as good as this, I simply cannot come up with one. Drink 2030-2080.
A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Mouton Rothschild has a pH of 3.62 and a very deep purple black color. It is very closed to begin, requiring a lot of swirling to unleash a powerful wall of crème de cassis, juicy black plums, and scents of boysenberries, followed by nuances of star anise, incense, violets, crushed rocks, and camphor, plus emerging iron ore and rose oil hints. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with layer upon layer of black fruit preserves and perfumed floral and exotic spice accents, framed by beautifully ripe, plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with an epically long fruit and mineral firework display. Gorgeous!
Dark ruby, purple color. Aromas of blackcurrants, black truffle, crushed stone, licorice and hints of tar. Full-bodied, deep and vertical on the palate, drawing you in and down. The structure is very tannic and powerful, yet the tannins are folded into the wine. One of the most powerful Moutons ever for me. Try after 2027.
Along with the Château Lafite, the 2016 Château Mouton Rothschild is the wine of the vintage from the Médoc and is a truly profound, magical, blockbuster wine in every sense. It’s based on 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in new French oak. Boasting a saturated purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of thick black fruits, lead pencil shavings, new saddle leather, and burning embers, with just a hint of its oak upbringing, this beauty hits the palate with a mammoth amount of fruit and texture yet stays fresh, pure, and light on its feet, with a thrilling sense of minerality as well as building tannins on the finish. It’s one of the most profound young wines I’ve ever tasted, and while it will probably keep for three-quarters of a decade, it offers pleasure even today. Bravo! Drink 2023-2098.
For the 2016 vintage, Philippe Dhalluin and his team have wrought a big, rich Mouton full of seductive grilled coffee bean, slate, graphite, tight cassis and bilberry. This has depth and impact and closely approaches the 2010. Astonishing! Clearly powerful but with the beauty and flourish of Mouton. It is a long lasting wine, just stretching out endlessly in front of you. The tannins are ever present and precise with a sweetness to them and a satin edge. This is 100% new oak, but has that 2016 trick of seeming perfectly integrated already. A wine to age then sink into on some happy future date. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot (the last two were co-vinified, unusually).
Drinking Window 2027-2050
Tasted blind. Rich, round and juicy. Very transparent and easy and beautiful. Just the job. Great balance. Glorious.
Drink 2027 – 2050
Originally classified as a Second Growth, Mouton made some of the greatest red Bordeaux wines ever in the period after the end of the Second World war and was finally upgraded to First Growth in 1973. Every year since the 1940's a different artist has decorated the label. Since the arrival of Philippe Dallhuin in 2003, Mouton has been on fine form. Grapes are now selected only from the core original vineyard site and the wine is always a classic example of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Pauillac. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet France and 1% Petit Verdot in 2016. The Grand Vin will represent 53% of total production this year. A huge, dense, expressive nose here. Layers of black fruits, liquorice, vanilla, pepper, tar and anise. The palate has great intensity of fruit - blackcurrant, kirsch, black cherries - all framed by greatly refined, ripe tannins adding great denisty. This is power and finesse combined, with velvet texture, complex chocolate, black fruit and exotic spice all adding to the harmony. This is a magnificent wine, displaying all the best attributes of the vintage - power, lift, intensity and freshness. Great precision and classic Mouton exoticism. One of the very best wines in 2016.
The nose has a mix of black fruits the start of the palate bright and fresh but there is mid richness concentrated flavours. The tannins are fine discreet well integrated the mid palate supple fleshy with ripe black fruits but there is freshness at the back the finish is long stylish elegant. 2026-44
Aged in 100% new oak, this is a bold, dense and very serious Mouton that will reward long cellaring. Toasty, rich and very concentrated with lashings of dark berry fruit and crème de cassis, some Asian spices and plenty of backbone and acidity. 2028-40
The 2016 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, with the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vinified together. It has a very deep purple-black color and slowly slides out of the glass with spicy notes of Sichuan pepper, cloves and cinnamon stick giving way to a core of perfumed black fruits and florals—blackcurrant cordial, candied violets, blackberry compote, rose hips and black plums—plus suggestions of espresso, damp soil, tar and beef drippings. Medium-bodied, the palate is very firmly structured and jam-packed with latent energy about to burst, offering superbly ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness to support the intense floral and black fruit layers and finishing very long and very minerally. Powerful, profound wine. Drink 2026-2079.
The 2016 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the latter two co-fermented, picked from 26 September and finished on 14 October. As usual, it is being matured in 100% new oak. It has a very intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cold limestone and crushed violet aromas that if anything, appear to gain vigor with aeration in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, juicy tannin. There is a lot of fruit packed into this Mouton-Rothschild and therefore one can feel the weight in the mouth, yet the acidity keeps everything on tip-toes. The finish has superb precision and opulence, completing a Mouton-Rothschild that will rivet you to the spot. Tasted on two occasions, the second confirming that this is simply a magnificent wine. Whichever artist eventually designs the label is going to be drinking well. Drink 2026 - 2065.
This is a phenomenal, muscular red that shows incredible power and depth. Full-bodied and with great concentration of tannins but this remains agile and polished. The form to this is stupendous. Such precision and clarity. The new 1986 but better.
Exceptional crimson. Real lift and transparency. Quite a soaring dry style with great texture and refreshment. Very strong style statement. Infusion of Cabernet. A sort of amalgam of cassis and tar in that very Mouton way but with 21st-century lift and transparency. Quite brave in a way. Bone dry and utterly embryonic compared with most of the 2016s (with the notable exception of Las Cases).
Drink 2030-2055
