2018 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2018
Is Le Petit Mouton the best second wine from Bordeaux today? After tasting the 2018, it is a distinct possibility. Dark in color, the nose jumps with 5 spice, currants, smoke, blackberries and light oak aromas. Silky, lush and polished with layers of sweet, ripe, fresh, round red fruits that build and linger. Disarmingly easy to taste, this has the ability to age for at least two decades. Blended using 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14% ABV, part of the reason the wine feels so rich that for the first time, the wine was aged in 100% new, French oak barrels, instead of closer to 50%. 2,695 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Put your nose into a basket of freshly picked black and red berries and you'll get the idea of the perfume here. Dark in color, the perfectly ripe, sweet fruit is vibrant, juicy and polished. The wine is supple and disarmingly easy to taste but don't that let fool you, there is depth of flavor and the ability to age for at least two decades. The wine was fashioned from 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14% ABV. This is so good it is hard to fathom that this only a second wine. With the exception of 1982 and 1986, this is better than any vintage of Mouton produced between 1962 and 1996! 94-96 Pts 3,985 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.