2011 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (Pre-Arrival)
SKU #1091016
95-97
points
Wine Enthusiast
Smooth, opulent tannins lend a velvety texture. This wine shows weight and spice, with potential power.
(4/ 2012)
93-96
points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
(4/ 2012)
93-96
points
Wine Spectator
Delivers a pure beam of cassis, raspberry and cherry, with lightly toasted spice notes and a firm plum skin edge holding sway on the finish. Stretched out somewhat already, this seems nicely tuned and has good buried minerality. Tasted non-blind.
(4/ 2012)
94-95
points
James Suckling
This is delicious with a gorgeous ripe fruit with hints of chocolate, lightly toasted oak and blueberries. Salty and savory. Long and very caressing. But then it goes on for a long, long time with firm tannins. Is it a baby 1986, one of the greats of Mouton? 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.
(4/ 2012)
92-94
points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
(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.'
(5/ 2012)
K&L Notes
**+ 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Inky. Trey: Spicy, almost exotic mocha aromas in the glass. Dark chocolate, fleshy mid-palate fruit and a velvety texture. This wine is sexy and long-definitely an earlier drinker. This wine should show well on release; it tastes pretty good now. 93-95 points.