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100 Robert Parker
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.
98 Vinous
The 2020 Mouton Rothschild is sensual, delicate and polished. Bright floral notes lead into a core of sweet red cherry, cedar, mint, anise and blood orange. In 2020, the Mouton is a wine of unreal elegance and finesse. I can't wait to taste it from bottle, as I think there may be much more to it than it’s showing today. Technical director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy noted that the 2020 was slow to extract because of its low alcohol (13.1%) compared with recent vintages.
Producer
Château Mouton Rothschild
Unique among the Bordeaux First Growths, Château Mouton Rothschild has been the only estate to join its high ranking after the famed 1855 Classification. In 1973, Baron Philippe de Rothschild successfully lobbied for the château, resulting in their Premiers Crus status that we know today. While their wines continuously reign top of the Classified Growths, their opulence and approachability paired with dark cassis notes, and powerful tannins has stayed true to their premium blending style. Baron Philippe said it perfectly, upon their elevated rank, “Premier je suis. Second je fus. Mouton ne change”, meaning “First I am. Second I was. Mouton does not change.” For many years, the estate was run by his daughter and art enthusiast, Baroness Philippine until her passing in 2014. Thanks to her, iconic artists like Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Keith Haring and Georges Braque have designed several labels for various vintages. In addition to their famous flagship, Mouton Rothschild, and their second label, Le Petit Mouton, a smaller production of a premium white, Aile d’Argent is also tempting.