Château Mouton Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2021
This feels like a dialled back, restrained Mouton. It certainly isn't the deep introspective type of example we're used to tasting from barrel, but it is rather striking none the less. The bouquet is very floral, with just faint hints of exotic spice and pot pourri. Very nuanced and refined. The palate is very sophisticated, pure cashmere with lots of lovely detail. There's a real sense of finesse and elegance here. An atypical style, but one that should provide much intrigue and pleasure. Exquisite. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Mouton Rothschild has a deep garnet-purple color. It is very closed to start, slowly unfurling to reveal notes of ripe black plums, blackcurrant pastilles, licorice, and cedar chest, followed by hints of dark chocolate and iron ore, with a fragrant touch of violets. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit, with great tension and ripe, fine-grained tannins framing the electrically charged black fruit and mineral flavors, finishing long and perfumed. It tingles on the palate!
Inky depths to the colour, with sweetened black cherry, damson and cassis fruit, and clear crushed rose petals, along with grilled rosemary, espresso, cocoa and sage. Supplies a generosity that is often lacking in the vintage, this stays bang on Mouton character and signature and even though in more classic style of the vintage, it is full of beauty. 100% new oak, 41hl/h yield. Harvest September 25 until October 6. The first vintage where it was Jean-Emmauel Danjoy from beginning to end, after Philippe Dhalluin's retiremement.
The 2021 Mouton-Rothschild, matured in 100% new oak for 18 months, has a "serious" Cabernet-driven bouquet, just as it had out of barrel. Graphite-infused black fruit mixes with tobacco and touches of incense, the latter a feature that I did not notice previously. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. Silky smooth in texture, it has indeed gained a little weight, especially toward the back. Possessing very pure fruit and harmonious with a linear yet elegant finish, this is a classically styled Mouton-Rothschild that will age with grace.
The 2021 Mouton Rothschild unwinds in the glass with rich aromas of dark berries and minty cassis mingled with espresso roast, dark chocolate, smoked meats and toasty new oak. It has taken on weight with elevage in barrel, exhibiting a full-bodied, rich and layered palate that's impressively muscular and multidimensional, with a deep core of fruit and plenty of sweet, powdery structuring tannin, concluding with a long, discreetly carnal finish.