Wine Advisor
Mouton Rothschild 2011
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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: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Mouton Rothschild (90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc) displays tell-tale notes of creme de cassis, vanillin and spicy oak, more tannin than many of the Pauillacs, and a solid, medium-bodied, concentrated, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon personality. Still tightly-knit and closed, but with lots of potential, it is a big, firmly structured Mouton that may turn out to be slightly austere. However, there are many reasons for optimism as well, so forget it for 7-8 years. It has 2-3 decades of aging potential. Only 54% of the production made the grade for Mouton Rothschild.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted twice, two weeks apart at the property. The 2011 is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc (the first time it has been blended since 2005) and cropped at 30.1hl/ha. It has a tightly wound Cabernet nose with graphite and cedar aromas, blackberry and a touch of cassis. Leaving the glass to one side, there is fine minerality and delineation here. The palate is very composed on the entry with supple tannins that are a little thicker and more saturated than Lafite. This has very good density, more like Latour than Lafite and a silver thread of acidity (pH 3.8). It has superb precision and tension on the finish that does not quite possess the persistency that a great vintage would have given. But this is still very impressive: a quintessential Mouton that may warrant a higher mark after bottling. Tasted April 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The evolved, fresh, mid-weight 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is charming and complete. It is an over-achieving effort in a challenging vintage with supple tannins, notes of cedarwood, forest floor, underbrush, licorice, graphite and red and blackcurrants. Medium-bodied, lush and sexy, it can be consumed over the next 10-15+ years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Mouton’s classic note of creme de cassis is well-displayed in this inky purple-colored wine. Significantly more powerful, rich and textured than its nearby neighbor, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton boasts superb intensity, stunning concentration, and plenty of sweet tannin. This is an impressively built, full-throttle wine that will require 5-8 years of cellaring and should keep for 25-30 years thereafter. It should prove to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage. Mouton Rothschild harvested between September 12-26, producing a final blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. One of the vintage’s great wines, it is a candidate for wine of the vintage. According to administrator Philippe Dalhuin, only 54% of the production went into the grand vin.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is probably the "weakest" of the releases between 2008 and 2012, although that would be unfairly disparaging what is a perfectly respectable, if rather unexciting Mouton. Here, it has those graphite and cedar aromas present and correct, the former a little more accentuated and with a light sea-spray note emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with cedar and a slight peat-like note infusing the black fruit, rigid in its youth but nicely delineated. As I discerned out of barrel, what it lacks is that peacock's tail on the finish, bolting out of the exit door before you have really got to know each other. Tasted April 2016.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Mouton Rothschild is dark, powerful and concentrated. Plum, grilled herbs, smoke, graphite and mocha are all nicely delineated in the glass. The effects of the hot, dry weather are felt in the wine's roasted flavors and hard tannins that reflect the heat stress of the season. I suspect the 2011 will have its day of glory once the tannins soften, but that day is a ways off in the future. Readers should expect to be patient with the 2011. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, brought in between September 12 and 28.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Dark ruby-red. Complex aromas of minty raspberry, plum, spicy tobacco and underbrush. Red berry, cedar and floral flavors show a creamy texture but are nicely lifted by ripe, harmonious acidity and a saline quality. Finishes with ripe tannins and rising length. This has none of the green notes or harsh tannins of many 2011 Bordeaux reds.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(90% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot and 3% cabernet franc): Deep ruby-red. Spicy red cherry, fresh blackcurrant, bay leaf, and cedar on the nose. Enters the mouth fresh and juicy, with bright acidity lifting the creamy red and black fruit flavors. Finishes clean and long, with mouthwatering acidity and supple charm. A knockout Mouton and one of the stars of the vintage. Director Philippe Dhalluin told me this wine reminded him of the '95 in some respects even though that wine has more flesh. This vintage marks the return of cabernet franc in Mouton's blend: it was last used in 2005, but then only 1%. Dhalluin told me he thought long and hard about this issue, worrying that adding cabernet franc might make the wine softer. But in 2011, I realized that may not be such a bad thing after all, he explained. Plus I really liked our cabernet franc this year, and so I thought, let's give it a shot.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2011 Mouton-Rothschild feels surprisingly reduced on the nose and needed a lot of coaxing. Leather, mocha, liquorice develops in the glass, quite bretty compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied, fleshy and ripe, that mocha translating over from the nose, minty with touches of white pepper on the finish. A very decent Pauillac, a solid rather than spectacular effort from Mouton this year. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.
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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