Château Mouton Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2003
Dark opaque purple in colour, almost black. On the nose it offers little at this stage, reticent and brooding, with classic cassis aromas apparent. The palate is impressive, not least in terms of its weight: it has a heavyweight tannic structure, overlaid with some cassis and blueberry fruit. About 70% of the fruit went into the Grand Vin at Mouton, against about 50% at the other Médoc First Growths. Merlots were harvested on 15th September, and Cabernets on the 25th and 26th, cropped at 32hl/ha; a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon/ 14% Merlot/ 2% Petit Verdot/ 8% Cabernet Franc, aged in 94% new oak. 12.9% abv.
critic reviews
The 2003 Mouton Rothschild has a powerful nose with slightly smudged summer fruit, leather, dates, forest floors and a touch of eucalyptus. The palate is medium-bodied and fleshy, with powdery tannins and better acidity than the Clerc Milon. It's quite tertiary, with just a little VA on the roasted coffee bean finish. The question is whether this will go anywhere interesting with further cellaring? Tasted at the château.
The 2003 harvest began on September 15 and finished ten days later. The result is an outstanding 2003 Mouton-Rothschild, but it is not one of the superstars of Pauillac or the Northern Medoc. Its nearby neighbors, Lafite-Rothschild, Cos dEstournel and Montrose, all produced wines that qualitatively dominate this effort from Mouton-Rothschild. Nevertheless, there is a lot to like. The tannins, which were so tough initially, have softened somewhat, and the nose offers up notes of cedarwood, roasted coffee, tobacco leaf and red and blackcurrants. This spicy, earthy, fleshy, medium to full-bodied 2003 is not one of the stars of the vintage. It is close to full maturity, where it should remain for another 10-15 years.