2018 Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2018
Château Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac)
Dark red ink in color, the wine exudes Asian spice, espresso, smoke, cigar box, walnuts, cocoa, blackberry and red currant aromas. If you can pull yourself away from seeking additional nuances in the perfume, the wine hits your palate with waves of sensuous, decadent, velvety, dark red fruits and spice that clock in at over 60 seconds. Think of 2018 as a better version of 2009, with more concentration, silkier tannins, additional levels of purity and opulence. Even with all this voluptuousness, the wine is energetic and intense. The blend comes from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 13.8% ABV. 6,867 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Opaque in color, the purple black hue is gorgeous. The perfume with its sea salt, lead pencil, blackberry liqueur, black currants, tobacco, spice and smoke is a knockout! That will keep you busy enough but it is on the palate where you'll really experience the wine as it hits and coats every nook and cranny in your mouth. The wine is lavish, dense, concentrated and showy. The naturally flamboyant nature of Mouton Rothschild comes though loud and clear. Even with all this voluptuousness, the wine is energetic and intense. The finish remains with you for well over 60 seconds. Clearly, the 2018 is going to be one of the great vintages of Mouton ever produced. The blend comes from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc and reached 13.8% ABV. The harvest took place from September 10 to October 3, the Grand Vin represents 66% of the harvest with very low yields of only 28 hectoliters per hectare. 98-100 Pts 18,414 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
When to Drink Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Mouton Rothschild is not a wine to drink on the young side. The wine is usually far too tannic, concentrated, and reserved during its youth. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 3-6 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild is usually better with at least 15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Latour offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 18 and 60 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Mouton Rothschild with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Mouton Rothschild is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Mouton Rothschild is also good when matched with Asian dishes, Chinese food, rich fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, and pasta.
Aile d'Argent, the white wine of Mouton Rothschild with wine and food matches are perfect for the table. Aile d'Argent is best paired with all types of seafood, sushi, sashimi, crab, lobster, chicken, veal, pork, and a myriad of different cheeses.
Aside from their three Classified estates in Bordeaux, the company also produces wines in the Napa Valley with Opus One, in Limoux with Domaine de Baron'arques, and in Chile, where the Rothschild family formed a partnership with Concha y Toro in Chile to create Almaviva.
When added to all their branded and negociant wines, like Mouton Cadet, in total, the company sells more than $350,000,000 worth of wine each year! Part of the reason for their success in creating an international brand has to do with their nonstop marketing all over the world.
In fact, Chateau Mouton Rothschild was one of the first 1855 Classified chateau to begin marketing in China. To further their connection to the country of China, for the 2008 vintage, Chateau Mouton Rothschild chose Xu Le, the Chinese-born artist to design their label.