| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2015 Mouton-Rothschild has more fruit intensity on the nose than the 2015 Château Margaux and also more red than black fruit: the raspberry and wild strawberry scents are more expressive than the blackberry and briary ones. The oak is neatly integrated here, although I would have liked a little more delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and vivacious red and black fruit, though it is the silky texture that really wins you over. There’s not a single hair out of place on the finish. Perhaps the aromatics just need to up their game. I was expecting a little more. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.
Decadent and rich aromas of black cherries and plums with wet earth and sandalwood. Turns to dried mushrooms. Full-bodied, tight and closed with big, polished tannins, yet this is very closed and shy right now. Despite this, underneath it shows such depth and beauty. Tangy acidity. This is a combination of 2005 and 2009. Try it in 2024.
A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet in color. It rocks up with flamboyant scents of baked plums, crème de cassis, and menthol with underlying suggestions of rose oil, sassafras, cedar chest, and Indian spices, plus a waft of dusty soil. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great core of ripe, black fruits, framed by beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy.
Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Very heady and opulent on the nose. Really seductive. Broad with masses of interesting fruit that almost completely submerges the tannin. Savoury and interesting but not forced.
Drink 2024-2044
Since the arrival of Philippe Dallhuin in 2003, Mouton has stepped up a level. 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 2015 has a modest 13.2 degrees of alcohol and was made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Philippe believes that this vintage has the "heft and opulence" of the 2005 but with softer tannins and a touch of the ripeness of 2009. Deep purple in colour with a very spicy, smoky and exotic nose. Layers of spicy clove, cinnamon, cassis and charcoal. The palate is slick and refined on entry with a polished and velvety mouthfeel. Superb poise and balance between vibrant blackcurrant fruit and toasted coriander and cumin spice. Exotic, complex, and long on the finish. Harmonious and elegant.
The crème de la crème from the northern Médoc is the 2015 Mouton Rothschild and this incredible wine flirts with perfection. Made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, this inky purple-colored effort offers sensational Cabernet flare in its crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, floral, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. It is full-bodied, dense, and incredibly concentrated, yet still has the sexy, opulent, seductive style of the vintage front and center. It will be a candidate for perfection in 10-12 years and is going to be one of the longest-lived wines in the vintage. Hats off to Philippe Dhalluim and his team for this incredible effort that’s a step up over just about every other northern Médoc out there! 2023 - 2063
Firm black cherry on the nose slightly tight the start of the palate has muscle concentrated black cherry the tannins are firm. It fills out in the middle quite fleshy and velvety ripe and rich at the back. Bilberry and bramble on the finish give a fresher feel the finish is perfumed with lingering flavours.
Is this one of the wines of the vintage? It all depends on whether you like the Napa-esque Mouton style, which is every bit as recognisable as that of Lafite (at the other extreme in 2015). This is a big, bold, concentrated wine, with toasty, 100% new oak and plush, compact tannins and succulent fruit flavours. Impressive, but how will it age? We shall see. Drink: 2025-35
With almost exactly the same blend as last year’s wine you couldn’t have two more polar opposite flavours. Dark, chocolaty, luxurious and indulgent this is a forward, alluring Mouton with flamboyance and exoticism in equal measure. I love the daring fruit and stunning concentration even though this is not a particularly tannic or weighty wine. Stunning and very attractive, I cannot take my eyes off this wine and it will amaze drinkers from a fairly early age for a quarter of a decade.
The 2015 Mouton Rothschild has a deep, almost opaque color. The nose is very intense and extraordinarily backward: blackberry, graphite (in fact, more like a big box of pencil shavings), hints of blueberry, violet and a splash of Indian ink. It must surely constitute one of the most penetrating aromatics this vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin that forms the arching structure of this Mouton, with layers of rich black fruit reined in by the killer line of acidity. This is ineffably pure and delineated toward the finish with an effervescent finish that leaves a stupid grin on your face. Together with that brilliant label by Gerhard Richter, this is a must-have in your cellar. Anticipated maturity: 2028 - 2060.
The 2015 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc matured entirely in new oak, as usual. This represents a relatively high percentage of Merlot simply because, as winemaker Philippe Dhalluin told me, that quality was so good. I afforded my sample four to five minutes to open as it was a little reduced at first, but eventually it reveals a gorgeous, extraordinarily intense bouquet of blackberry, cassis, incense and cold slate aromas. In some ways it reminds me of Latour as much as Mouton Rothschild. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin, perfectly pitched acidity, wonderful tension and impressive length. There is a strong graphite theme running through from start to finish that is little grainy and so it will require preferably a decade in cellar. But what freshness and panache here, a classic Mouton-Rothschild that will live for 50 or 60 years, not a million miles away from say, the 1986 or 2010. Expect this to settle at the top of my banded score once in bottle. Drink 2027-2060.
Very racy and refined with super polished tannins and focused dark fruits. Blackberry, orange peel, and black currants. Full. Very long and thought-provoking. A wine that delivers power and finesse. Juicy and fresh.
The 2015 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak with a mid-July 2017 bottling. Deep garnet-purple colored, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, crème de cassis and grilled meats, featuring perfectly accessorized accents of sandalwood, cinnamon stick and fenugreek with wafts of dried roses, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with rich, ripe black fruits sparked with blue and red fruit undertones and an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins, with seamless freshness and an epically long, earth-laced finish. Possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting, this 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention. Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years. Drink 2025 - 2055.
Very majestic nose. Obviously first-growth quality. Savoury and plush in terms of texture. Restrained without being a wimp. Lovely scent. Dry finish but with some of Mouton's opulence before then. Very fine. Very exciting. Some saline sap as well as all the ripe fruit.
Drink 2025-2045
