Wine Advisor
Mouton Rothschild 2006
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Description
Formerly known as Château Brane-Mouton, it was in 1853 that Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired the property located on the Left Bank in the Bordeaux region in the Médoc. From this date, the Château was renamed Château Mouton-Rothschild. Under the leadership of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild saw its reputation grow to become an emblem of the Pauillac appellation.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. This has a beautifully defined, crystalline bouquet with blackberry, plum and a touch of violets; beguiling lift from the glass, its fingers caressing the senses and luring you back into the glass. There is tangible mineralite here, a Pauillac that exudes breeding. The palate is very smooth and harmonious, perfect balance, a more feminine wine but there is undoubtedly still a great deal of power and cohesion. Lingers beautifully on the finish. Divine. Tasted January 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This extraordinary Mouton should turn out to be the finest they have made since the monumental 1982 and 1986. In early tastings, Mouton often seems to tag along behind the other first-growths. Yet in 2006, there is no question that the Baronne Philippine de Rothschild gave carte blanche authority to her talented administrator, Philippe Dalhuin, to turn up the heat in 2006. Yields were a tiny 32 hectoliters per hectare, the harvest took place between September 20 and October 15, and a minuscule 44% of the crop made it into the grand vin (the lowest percentage in more than half a century). The final blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot is unusually high in Cabernet Sauvignon, but it possesses Mouton’s hallmarks of pure creme de cassis and flowers in addition to a toasty oak character. Profoundly concentrated, super-textured, and rich, Mouton’s powerful, full-bodied 2006 is unquestionably a strong candidate for the “wine of the vintage.” Kudos to Mouton’s winemaking team for fashioning this brilliant wine. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A major sleeper of the vintage and a great effort, the 2006 Mouton-Rothschild boasts abundant notes of crème de cassis, licorice, truffles, forest floor and cedarwood. The stunning aromatics are still somewhat primary, but the wine is full-bodied with sweet, abundant tannin. Built like a skyscraper with multiple dimensions, this super-concentrated, beautiful blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot should drink well for 30+ years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Mouton Rothschild. Deep black/purple colour. The nose seems a little over-extracted and lacking some delineation as a consequence. Scents of black cherries, cassis, iodine. Opulent as one comes to expect from Mouton. The palate is attractive, full-bodied, decadent and showy with ripe blackberries, cedar and cassis. The one problem I find is that it is dominated by too much new oak and it is difficult to discern the character of the wine underneath. It needs more poise and delineation although Mouton always improves significantly between now and the summer. Touch of black coffee on the finish. Certainly a commendable Mouton, by I need that oak to become more enmeshed within the fabric of the wine. Tasted April 2007.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Mouton-Rothschild has a brilliant bouquet that is extremely well defined: blackberry, minerals and graphite aromas that you could pluck from the ether. That sets you up nicely for what follows. The palate is very harmonious with supple tannin. The silver bead of acidity is beautifully judged and interwoven through this linear and classic Mouton that is reminiscent of those ethereal wines Baron Philippe oversaw during the 1950s. It is all about the precision and classicism without denuding the fruit intensity, to wit, a complete Mouton-Rothschild that is a strong candidate for wine of the vintage. This is the wine that really put winemaker Philippe Dhalluin on the map and rightly so. Tasted January 2016.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A sensational effort, the 2006 Mouton Rothschild exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a classic Mouton perfume of creme de cassis, flowers, blueberries, and only a hint of oak. Dalhuin told me that in whisky barrel-tasting vintages such as 1989 and 1990, Mouton was aged in heavily-toasted barrels, and they have backed off to a much lighter toast for the barrels’ interior. I think this has worked fabulously well with the cassis quality fruit they get from their Cabernet Sauvignon. The full-bodied, powerful 2006 possesses extraordinary purity and clarity. A large-scaled, massive Mouton Rothschild that ranks as one of the top four or five wines of the vintage, it may turn out to be the longest-lived wine of the vintage by a landslide. The label will undoubtedly be controversial as a relative of Sigmund Freud, Lucian Freud, has painted a rather comical Zebra staring aimlessly at what appears to be a palm tree in the middle of a stark courtyard. I suppose a psychiatrist could figure out the relationship between that artwork and wine, but I couldn’t see one. This utterly profound Mouton will need to sleep for 15+ years before it will reveal any secondary nuances, but it is a packed and stacked first-growth Pauillac of enormous potential. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060+. Ever since owner Philippine de Rothschild put Philippe Dalhuin in charge at Mouton in 2004 there has been a dramatic reduction in the amount of wine produced under the Mouton Rothschild label. The selection process has been ratcheted up to the level of other first-growths, and that is reflected in what is clearly the greatest Mouton produced since 1982 and 1986. As I indicated in my barrel tasting notes, only 44% of the crop made it into the 2006 grand vin, which is the lowest percentage in more than fifty years. The final blend includes a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (87%) and the rest Merlot (13%). No Cabernet Franc was utilized in 2006, and purchasers will have a long wait until this wine reaches full maturity. Keep in mind that, where well-stored, the 1986 currently tastes like a 4-5 year old wine, and the 1982 is just beginning to enter early adolescence. If you extrapolate from that, the 2006 will need at least twenty years to reach a teen-age status, and probably will not hit its plateau of maturity for three decades.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Bottled in July, I can finally see what all the fuss was about (although I did opine that I thought this wine would come into its own once the dominant oak had enmeshed itself into the fabric of the wine.) It now has very fine precision on the nose, great lift and sense of minerality with notes of blackcurrant, a touch of blueberry, mint and limestone. Much more feminine and wily that I was expecting, almost to the point where I am thinking of Burgundy! The tannins have softened considerably since showing out of barrel with layers of tobacco-tinged blackberry, raspberry and cedar coming through on the persistent finish. Very harmonious with a lingering graphite tinged finish. This has certainly come into its own – just a beautiful wine, like a peacock strutting around the grounds of a castle! Drink 2012-2030+ Tasted September 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2006 Mouton-Rothschild was really the wine that put winemaker Philippe Dhalluin on the map, in the sense that unlike the 2005 born in a great vintage, this 2006 had to transcend it. It remains one of the standouts of the growing season and actually replicates previous showings just the week earlier and in January. As expected, the nose has quite brilliant delineation with blackberry, graphite, here an almost cold slate-like scent. The palate is harmonious with the carefully judged acidity, fine-grain tannin and immense detail on the finish. Recent bottles suggest that it may close up for several years, in which case, either enjoy this in the next few months or cellar this for a few years and receive vinous dividends down the line. Tasted May 2016.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2006 Mouton Rothschild is dark, powerful and intense, with firm tannins that need time to soften. This is an especially dark, somber Mouton. Dark black fruit, smoke, menthol gravel and cured meats are some of the signatures. Slight vegetal notes underpin the fruit. I am not sure the 2006 has enough freshness to be a long-term ager or the depth of fruit to outlast the tannins. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, harvested between September 20 and October 5.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of cassis, blueberry, cedar and graphite. Wonderfully pure and silky in the mouth, with great subtle, slow-building intensity and superb energy and thrust. A real essence of cabernet sauvignon and Mouton terroir This one really rattled my brain-in the gentlest way. As silky as it is, it possesses bottomless depths. Finishes with big but noble tannins and outstanding length. I loved this wine the spring after the harvest, and it's even more impressive today. This should go on for decades, but today it's hard to imagine this wine going through an extended sullen stage. By the way, I'm a great fan of Lucien Freud's work, but his label for this wine does not do justice to the juice inside the bottle.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good bright, deep ruby. Great class to the aromas of blackcurrant, graphite, spices, cedar and flowers. The cabernet-dominated flavors are at once sweet and penetrating, with harmonious acidity and firm underlying minerality giving the wine a sappy, vibrant character. Extremely fine-grained wine finishing with very broad, suave tannins that saturate the front teeth. An outstanding 2006 with great potential.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
((features the highest percentage of cabernet sauvignon here in a long time) 87%): Impressive deep ruby. Pure, mineral-driven aromas of cassis, graphite and bitter chocolate. Sweet, densely packed and fine-grained, with outstanding silky richness for a wine with 12.8% alcohol. Wonderfully ripe and full wine (the pH is 3.83), finishing with substantial but noble tannins and superb chocolatey persistence. A very classy, refined wine in the making-almost voluptuous for a young Mouton. From the wine's aromatic class and texture, this could only be a first growth.
About the Producer
Chateau Mouton Rothschild is located in the Pauillac appellation in the Medoc of Bordeaux, France. In the 1855 classification, it shares the distinction of being a First Growth with Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Haut-Brion. Mouton Rothschild has adopted a modern approach to winery management, employing a viticulturalist to oversee the vineyards. From the cultivation of the grapes to the pruning of the vines, from the tracking of the ripening of the grapes to the manual harvesting, everything is done to perfection. Today, Château Mouton has 90 hectares of vineyards, most of which are located on a hill called "Plateau de Mouton", at an altitude of 27 meters. The soil is deep gravel, with good drainage and heat storage, which allows the grapes to ripen slowly. The vineyard is planted with 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, with a planting density of approximately 10,000 vines/ha and an average vine age of 44 years. The vineyard also contains 7 hectares of excellent plots for the production of high quality white wines, with 56% Sauvignon Blanc, 43% Semillon and 1% Muscadelle, planted at a density of 9,000 vines per hectare. During the harvest season, the grapes are picked and sorted by hand, and the carefully selected grapes are placed in fermentation vats by gravity alone through moving vats. As a result, the grapes are not subjected to any unnatural pressure or restraint and remain in their natural, pure state from the time they are harvested until they enter the fermentation vats. At the end of fermentation, the wine is transferred to new oak barrels to mature for about 20 months. In 2012, Mouton Rothschild's new winery, which combines traditional techniques with modern technology, was inaugurated. It is divided into two floors, connected by metal columns. The interior is equipped with oak barrels and stainless steel tanks of different sizes, which correspond to the different plots and varieties of the vineyard, in order to achieve a more optimal winemaking blend. Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, France is the main wine of the estate and accounts for half of the total production. It has been praised by many critics and wine lovers for its beautiful, elegant and unique style, which is in harmony with the terroir of the region, and its artistic design of the label. In addition to the main label, the winery also has Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, France (1993) and Aile d'Argent Blanc du Mouton (1991). Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Bordeaux, France). The Petit Mouton Rothschild is made from the younger vines on the estate and is harvested, vinified and bottled on the same basis as the full-length wine. The wine quickly gained a foothold in the market and was very well received. The Silver Wings dry white wine is rich, complex and elegant, and although its production is scarce, it is quickly becoming a symbol of Bordeaux's premium white wines and a favorite among wine enthusiasts.
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