Chateau Mouton Rothschild

In the glass

Aroma: crème de cassis, blackcurrant, dark truffle, licorice, crushed stone, cedar

Palate: black fruit, charcoal, tobacco, dark chocolate, lead pencil, graphite

The most opulent of the Pauillac first-growths; Mouton Rothschild emphasises blackcurrant concentration, dark chocolate, and an extrovert aromatic generosity that sets it apart from the pencil-mineral restraint of Lafite and Latour.

What it pairs with

• Grilled Wagyu ribeye
  Mouton's powerful dark fruit and ripe tannins match the extraordinary fat content of Wagyu; chocolate tones find an echo in beef's natural glutamates.
• Roasted rack of lamb with black truffle
  Truffle and dark fruit in the wine mirror the aromatic complexity of truffle-studded lamb.
• Roasted venison with blackcurrant jus
  The wine's cassis-and-licorice register mirrors the fruit in the sauce; firm tannins cut game's gaminess.
• Aged mimolette with walnut
  Crystalline aged cheese amplifies Mouton's fruit and tobacco while walnuts echo bitter chocolate notes.

History

Acquired by Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild in 1853. For over a century classified as a Second Growth, Baron Philippe de Rothschild campaigned for reclassification. In 1973, Mouton Rothschild became the only wine ever to be upgraded in the 1855 classification, from Second to First Growth. Since 1945, each vintage has featured a different label artwork by a renowned artist -- a tradition initiated by Philippe de Rothschild.

1. 1853 — Acquired by Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild at auction
2. 1945 — First artist label commissioned: 'V pour Victoire' by Philippe Julian to mark the Allied victory
3. 1973 — Elevated to Premier Cru Classe in the only official amendment to the 1855 classification
4. 2020 — Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy appointed technical director; modernisation of winemaking approach

Facts

Producer

Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon (81%), Merlot (16%), Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Classification

Pauillac AOC, Premier Cru Classe (elevated from Deuxieme in 1973)

Oak

18 to 22 months in 100% new French oak barriques

ABV

13.5%

Price

$600-1100 at retail

Drinking window

10-50 from vintage

First vintage

1853

Scores

• Wine Advocate 100 (1982 vintage, reviewed 1985)
• Wine Advocate 98 (2016 vintage, reviewed 2019)
• James Suckling 100 (2016 vintage, reviewed 2019)

Tags