2010 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1067140 100 points James Suckling

This is pure Cabernet Sauvignon magic with incredible aromas of currants, blackberries and light spices. Tiny hints of hazelnut. Wet earth. Full body, with super velvety tannins. The purity of fruit is breathtaking. It goes on for minutes. This is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot. Try after 2020. (2/ 2013)

98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Only 49% of the production made it into the 2010 Mouton Rothschild, which has a strikingly beautiful label by Jeffrey Koons. This is a truly great wine, with a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and the other 6% Merlot. At 13.9% natural alcohol, Mouton’s director, Philippe Dhalluin, has clearly produced another 50- to 60-year wine that has a chance at perfection in about 15 years time, when I suspect this wine will be rounding into drinking condition. It is dense, rich and full-bodied, with the classic Mouton creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and floral notes, but also some blueberry and hints of subtle espresso and mulberry. The wine has more minerality and precision than the rich, extravagantly opulent 2009, and while that may please some, others will have their patience tested as they wait and wait for this compelling Mouton Rothschild to hit full maturity. (98+) (2/ 2013)

95-98 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

(a blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon and 6% merlot; 80 IPT; 3.8 pH; 14% alcohol; a 49% selection for the grand vin Deep, bright ruby. Reticent nose hints at deep redcurrant, blackcurrant and plum complicated by aromatic herbs, cedar and lavender. Precise and pure on entry, showing very smooth flavors of red berries, dark plum and soy sauce. A refined Mouton-Rothschild that impresses through its grace rather than power; less exotic than usual at this early stage, it conveys a more serious, austere personality, even if it is still more expressive today than either Latour or Lafite. Director Philippe Dhalluin told me that although the merlot vats tasted perfectly fine this year, the variety endured plenty of problems ranging from coulure to heat stress (Mouton's famed gravel soils are an enemy of merlot in very dry years such as 2010), and this explains the preponderance of cabernet sauvignon in the final blend. An outstanding Mouton. (6/ 2011)

98 points Wine Enthusiast

*Cellar Selection* A dense, smooth and opulent wine bursting with ripe Cabernet Sauvignon flavors. It's regal and well structured, balancing the natural exuberance of Mouton with a more severe side. This is a wine with power, yet not without its charms from the fruitiness and final acidity. This great wine will age many, many years. (3/ 2013)

98 points Wine Spectator

*Collectibles* This strides in with distinction, starting off with a showy but integrated layer of espresso-infused toast, followed by plush tiers of crushed currant, plum and blackberry fruit interspersed with cocoa and well-roasted cedar notes. The long, tobacco- and loam-filled finish shows lots of heft, but stays polished. An impressive display of unadulterated, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2020 through 2045. (1/ 2013)

Jancis Robinson

Burnished dark pruney crimson. Very opulent and heady on the nose. Lovely perfume. Lots of fully ripe black fruits. Amazingly polished -- so much so that you are almost distracted from the huge tannic charge. Not quite as dense as some of the greatest 2010s but very well balanced. Hugely Cabernet. As in 2009, great care has been taken not to produce too heavy a wine. There is almost Lafite-like structure here. Very, very polished middle palate. Bone dry, pretty tannic finish. 18.5/20 points. (4/ 2011)

K&L Notes

94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot. Production down 15% from 2009.