Mouton Rothschild (Ex-Château) 2006 150cl

A sensational effort, the 2006 Mouton Rothschild exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a classic Mouton perfume of creme de cassis, flowers, blueberries, and only a hint of oak. Dalhuin told me that in whisky barrel-tasting vintages such as 1989 and 1990, Mouton was aged in heavily-toasted barrels, and they have backed off to a much lighter toast for the barrels’ interior. I think this has worked fabulously well with the cassis quality fruit they get from their Cabernet Sauvignon. The full-bodied, powerful 2006 possesses extraordinary purity and clarity. A large-scaled, massive Mouton Rothschild that ranks as one of the top four or five wines of the vintage, it may turn out to be the longest-lived wine of the vintage by a landslide. The label will undoubtedly be controversial as a relative of Sigmund Freud, Lucian Freud, has painted a rather comical Zebra staring aimlessly at what appears to be a palm tree in the middle of a stark courtyard. I suppose a psychiatrist could figure out the relationship between that artwork and wine, but I couldn’t see one. This utterly profound Mouton will need to sleep for 15+ years before it will reveal any secondary nuances, but it is a packed and stacked first-growth Pauillac of enormous potential. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060+. <br/>

87 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 13 % Merlot. Eine der grössten Proportionen von Cabernet seit langem. Sehr dunkles Weinrot mit violetten und fast schwarzen Reflexen. Klassisches Mouton-Cassisbouquet, dicht, füllig und süss, im Untergrund schwarze, getrocknete Beeren, Bounty-Kokos, dunkle Pralinen, Kaffee-Dessertbohnen, mineralischer Touch, Terpentinnuancen, zu Kopf steigend. Im Gaumen erstaunlich saftig, weil die Gerbstoffe fein und sehr elegant sind, seidige Textur, ausgeglichene Adstringenz, im Finale viel Würztöne, zarte Schokobitterkeit und wieder viel Cassis. Gleicht stark seinem eigenen 1994er, vielleicht mit einer Spur mehr Kraft, aber auch «nobler Arroganz», geniale Länge. (19/20). 14: An zwei Abenden während einem Wine & Dine in Lausanne. Wildes Bouquet, Glutamat, Wildgefkügel, dann die enorme Sosse. Im Gaumen viel Pflaumentöne, leicht trockene Tannine, aber das kann auch von der Adstringenz her stammen. Zeigt ziemlich viel Volumen im Körper, also wird das ein ziemlich dicker Mouton.

This is in an interesting spot right now, still sporting some youthful blackberry, cassis and plum fruit, with only secondary hints starting to emerge. Yet those secondary hints are very tantalizing, with well-worn cedar, tobacco and sanguine notes adding range and cut. There's a freshness throughout, yet also a supple edge, which allows the fruit to drape prettily on the finish. Drink now through 2024.—J.M.