Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2020 Pauillac Single Bottle
Country: France Region: Pauillac
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (84%), Merlot (13%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Petit Verdot (1%).
Vintage: 2020 Colour: Red Style: Full bodied
Producer: Chateau Mouton Rothschild
The elegance and aromatic finesse of an exceptional Pauillac Premier Cru Classé
'The 2020 Mouton Rothschild is a striking wine and one that I regretted not purchasing en primeur as soon as it landed in my glass. Offering up complex aromas of minty cassis, pencil shavings, loamy soil, cigar wrapper, espresso roast and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and layered, with terrific concentrated, beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Checking in at 12.8% alcohol, its incipient complexity, ineffable sense of completeness and exquisite balance mark it out as the purists' choice among the trio of 2018, 2019 and 2020. In this vintage, the lots that made it into the blend were largely confined to the core gravel terroirs that represent Mouton's heart, meaning that there's a little less to go around. This was the first vintage overseen by Mouton's new technical director, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, and he has begun with a flying start. 2030 - 2070'
100 points
William Kelley, Wine Advocate, April 2023
'The purity of blackcurrants, blueberries, creme de cassis, and flowers. Hints of subtle spearmint. Iron. Blood orange. Medium-bodied with a compacted palate, like a cylinder of perfectly ripe fruit and fine tannins. A million layers of tight-grained tannins. It goes on and on. Such freshness and weightlessness to it. Ethereal. New classicism. Modern take on the 1986. 12.79% alcohol. 84% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink after 2030 but hard to not drink now'
100 Points
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, May 2023
The estate
It was in 1853 that Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired Château Brane-Mouton at auction. Located in the heart of the Médoc, in the appellation of Pauillac, the estate was renamed Chateau Mouton Rothschild In 1924, Baron Philippe de Rothschild took over the reins of the property. A visionary, he decided to initiate bottling directly at the estate and also designed a label for the wine. In 1973 Château Mouton Rothschild became a First Classified Growth. An icon of the Pauillac appellation, Chateau Mouton Rothschild has produced magnificent Bordeaux wines, known by wine lovers around the world.
The vineyard
Located north-west of Bordeaux in the Médoc, the Château Mouton Rothschild vineyard stretches across 90 hectares. The vines are planted in stony, gravelly soils that capture the heat and restore it during the night, thus helping the grapes ripen. These poor, well-drained soils are lain over clay-gravelly subsoils, lending these great Pauillac Wines a certain power, elegance and a tannic structure.
The vintage
A very mild winter and early spring advanced an early budding of the vines. The snowfall at the end of March did not impact the vineyards. Marked by temperatures above seasonal norms, the spring was also punctuated by abundant precipitation, especially at the beginning of May. From mid-May, hot and dry conditions significantly accelerated the vegetative cycle, with flowering taking place 12 days ahead of its usual date. While the month of June was characterised by great weather contrasts, the month of July was marked by heat waves and severe drought. The few rainy days in August activated veraison and resulted in a uniform development of the berries. Historically early, the 2020 harvest yielded fully ripe grapes in perfect health. Despite lower yields than in recent vintages, the quality was exceptional, producing fresh, balanced and dense wines with powerful tannins and a beautiful finesse.
Colour
The wine has a dark and intense cherry-red colour, adorned with garnet highlights.
Nose
Elegant and beautifully complex, the nose reveals aromas of perfectly ripe black fruits. During the tasting, the nose combines fragrances of blackcurrant and anise with notes of graphite and blond tobacco.
Palate
Suave and fleshy, the attack reveals fine and precise tannins which mingle harmoniously with menthol, mineral and smoky scents. The finish expresses, with great elegance and exceptional persistence, Cabernet Sauvignon, the château's flagship grape variety.
