Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2012 Pauillac 《Terroir Collection - ZTF096A》

Region : Pauillac

Grapes : 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot

Alcohol : 12.5%

Website : https://www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com/

🌟 1855 grand cru classes 1st 

🏅  James Suckling 97 pts

🏅  Wine Advocate 96 pts

🏅  Vinous 95 pts

🏅  Vivino 4.5

The property in the 18th century, along with Lafite and Latour, of the "prince of vines”, the MarquisNicolas-Alexandre de Segur, then the Barons de Brane, Chateau Mouton Rothschild took its present nameafter it was acquired by Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild, from the English branch of the famous dynasty, in1853. For many years, despite the increasingly acknowledged quality of its wine. Mouton aroused littleinterest among its owners, unwilling to make the journey to a then-neglected region. So it was a red-letterday when, in 1922, Baron Nathaniel's great grandson Baron Philippe de Rothschild, barely 20 years old.took in hand the destiny of an estate to which he would devote his entire life.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild spans go hectares (222 acres) of vines to the north-west of Bordeaux, on theedge of the Medoc peninsula, itself situated, as its name indicates, in medio aquae, amid the waters: thoseof the Gironde estuary to the east and of the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Medoc vinevard, which datesback to Roman times, now covers around 16,500 hectares (41,000 acres). The vines are planted on anarrow strip ofland 8o km long and 5 to 10 km wide. close to the river, which irrigates the soil in depth andmoderates differences in temperature. Bordering the northern limit of the Landes forest, the Medocbenefits from the mildness of the ocean climate while also being protected from its excesses.

The Chateau Mouton Rothschild vineyard, mostly situated on a hillock called the “Plateau de Mouton"which rises to 27m above sea-level, is planted on very deep gravelly soil with the varieties typical of theregion: Cabernet Sauvignon (81%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Franc(3%) and Petit Verdot (1%).Theseproportions are not reflected identically in the wine. because the blend varies according to the character ofeach vintage. However, Cabernet Sauvignon always predominates: it is Cabernet Sauvignon that givesMouton its rich tannins, its wealth of aroma and flavour and its ageing capacity, while Merlot, aninseparable companion, brings suppleness, roundness and exceptional length, As with other top Medocwvines, the vinevard is densely planted -- 10,000 vines per hectare - and the average age of the vines isaround 44 years.

Everything at Mouton, from the tending of the vines to the bottling of the wines, is done by the bestspecialists, from the vinegrower who ploughs, prunes, treats, trims and thins and the vineyard managerwho monitors the grapes as they ripen to the cellar-master who oversees the vinification and the technicamanager who is responsible for the entire process and decides the blend. In many cases, the men andwomen who make Mouton follow each other from generation to generation, passing on ancestral know-howand skills enhanced over the years by the advantages of the most up-to-date technology. Different from onevintage to another but always the same - witness its legendary blackcurrant flavour - and always at thepinnacle. the Chateau fully deserves its motto: “I, Mouton, do not change”.

The ambition of making Mouton a place of art and beauty can be seen everywhere. Outside. in theharmonious arrangement of buildings and open space, in the subtle play of perspectives, in the zen-rakedpathwavs, in the peaceful symmetry of the two end-walls that frame the chateau, in the contrast betweenthe vertical lines of Petit Mouton, a modest, ivy-covered, mansard-roofed Victorian residence built in 1885and the horizontal lines of Grand Mouton, constantly enhanced and redesigned since the 1060s.

Produced from an exceptional terroir, Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild is the second wine of ChateauMouton Rothschild.

Made with grapes from selected younger vines in the illustrious First Growth vineyard, it is harvested.vinified and bottled with the same scrupulous attention to detail. Harvested in small, open baskets,ermented in the Mouton oak vats, matured in oak barrels in the traditional wav, all the conditions are metfor the wine to express the elegance and richness of a great Pauillac.

In order to link the second wine more closely with its famous elder, illustrated by great artists since 1945.Baroness Philippine de Rothschild has chosen a label for Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild inspiredby a drawing by the famous poster artist Jean Carlu.

A variation on the theme of the vine, the powerfully coloured drawing combines sensual shape with theclean geometries of the Art Deco style. It was made in 1927, following the artist's design in the same periodfor the label for Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1g24.

The first vintage, 1993, was called Le Second Vin de Mouton Rothschild, but it has borne its definitive namewhich has a family connotation, Petit Mouton being the name of Baroness Philippine's residence in theheart of the estate) since the following year, 1994.

🏅 James Suckling 97 pts

What a nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, minerals and graphite. Full-bodied and extremely fine and polished. Sexy and ethereal. Harmony. A little salty. Fabulous 2012. 

🏅 Wine Advocate 96 pts

Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2012 Mouton-Rothschild clearly has the upper hand over the 2011, if not quite at the level of the 2009, 2010 and what I envisage will be the 2015. There is obviously greater fruit intensity here, as if the contrast has been dialed up a couple of notches. It is quite showy on the nose, preening in its infancy with pure black cherries, graphite and hints of cold slate-like scents, later that hint of seaweed I observed when tasted blind a few months earlier. The palate is beautifully balanced with great vim and vigor. This is a Mouton that will not be put down - vivacious, vivid and delineated with wonderful focus and crucially, impressive persistence on the finish. Do not underestimate this Mouton-Rothschild, because I can see an upswing as it matures in bottle. Tasted April 2016.

🏅 Vinous 95 pts

The 2012 Mouton-Rothschild is now drinking beautifully. Black and bluefruit on the nose, with touches of potpourri and graphite, this certainly hadno intention of being overshadowed by the 1961. Still youthful, thearomatics suggest another three or four years in bottle will do it no harm.Likewise, the palate remains youthful though less “glossy" than previousexamples as it slowly matures. Wonderful delineation and delivering acrescendo of flavors towards the finish, this is a great modern Mouton-Rothschild that, compared to more lauded vintages, could represent anastute acquisition.

$3480/bottle