Château Mouton Rothschild 2007

Every time I taste the 2007 Mouton-Rothschild, I like it less and less. It is beginning to display a monolithic, slightly astringent and attenuated character along with medium-bodied blackcurrant fruit intermixed with hints of tobacco leaf, herbs and a notion of oak. The wine finishes medium-bodied with a slight hollowness. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

A prime example of a lesser year hitting its stride, as 2007 was markedly cooler than normal after June. This is very expressive, with perfumy black tea, singed alder and smoldering tobacco notes leading the way for a core of gently mulled plum and black cherry fruit. Shows pretty cedar accents through the finish, with a menthol backdrop. -- Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2031.

It was during lockdown that I really started to discover how well the 2007 vintage is tasting right now, and it was to celebrate a post-lockdown (V1) reunion with old friends that we opened this bottle. Definitely still a baby, it jumped out of the glass with its seductively rich texture, showing how the best estates casually skip over vintage limitations (in fact we tasted it next to a 2005 3rd Growth, and the Mouton walked all over it). Tasted even better the next day, when the blackberry, cassis, slate and chocolate notes had opened up further. I'm not suggesting that you should crack open all First Growths when just 13 years old, but 2020 was a year when you had to take your pleasures where you can, and this is a wine and a tasting moment that will always stay with me.

This Mouton is starting to show the complexity of an aged Mouton with truffles, dried strawberries and cherries. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and flavors of sous bois and mushrooms, which make this really quite sexy. Better in a year or two but already so complete.

Still remarkably red at the core and a narrow brick rim. Both meaty and leafy on the nose along with the characteristic relatively early maturity of this vintage. A nice peppery character on the nose too. Fragrant and fresh on the palate and has that chocolate flavour and texture that I found on the Margaux yet here the wine is more complete and more fully integrated. There’s a light and attractive grip that would make this even better at the table. (JH)

The 2007 Mouton Rothschild is a gorgeous wine, especially within the context of the vintage. Open, expressive aromatics and forward fruit make the 2007 an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next two decades or so. Although the 2007 is not an epic Mouton, it is without question one of the best recent vintages for current drinking. Smoke, tobacco, cedar and licorice add the closing shades of nuance. Warm weather resulted in an unusually early start to the growing season. Summer was not especially warm, but a hot, dry September pushed the raisins through the final phase of ripening. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot. Harvest took place between September 26 and October 11.

Lacking the depth and opulence found in the best years, the wine trades concentration and complexity for a medium-bodied, correct, early-drinking Pauillac with real Bordeaux character. At 10, it’s already a charmer. However, this is not a wine for extended cellaring. If you have a bottle, pop a cork over the next 3–8 years to get the most out of it.

Based on 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, the 2007 Château Mouton Rothschild is a touch firm and austere, yet nevertheless concentrated and structured, with solid balance. Classic notes of blackcurrants, graphite, tobacco leaf, and lead pencil all emerge from this still youthful, medium- to full-bodied effort that’s just now on the early slopes of its maturity plateau. It’s not a blockbuster, sexy Mouton by any measure and will need to be purchased by those who love more reserved, classically styled Bordeaux.

Extremely dark color, garnet-violet-black. Brilliant black-berry bouquet, teak and rosewood, black currant and plenty of licorice, a hint of candied orange and thyme, peppery and fresh, an extremely complex nose. Meaty palate, dense in extract, balanced astringency, abundant black-fruit aromas, jasmine tea, tar, dried blueberries, plenty of Mouton-Cassis, with peppery tannins at the core—almost a touch aggressive yet ripe—giving the wine both great power and breed. It will head toward a great, classic Pauillac and, despite the traits of the vintage, will need more than ten years to reach its first drinking window. In the 2007 vintage, it belongs to the top trio on the Left Bank, along with Palmer and Cos d’Estournel.

81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot. The Cabernet Franc was entirely declassified and blended into the second wine. A very small harvest, the smallest since 1969, resulting in only 170,000 bottles. Extremely dark color, garnet‑violet‑black. Brilliant black‑berry bouquet, teakwood and rosewood, blackcurrant and plenty of licorice, a hint of candied orange peel and thyme; it feels peppery and fresh, with an extremely multi‑layered nose. Fleshy palate, dense in extract, balanced astringency; many aromas in the black‑fruit register—jasmine tea, tar, dried blueberries—and lots of Mouton‑Cassis; inwardly intense, with peppery tannins that are almost still a bit aggressive yet ripe, giving the wine both great power and breeding. It will head toward a great, classical Pauillac and, despite the vintage’s traits, will need more than 10 years to reach its first drinking maturity. Belongs to the top trio on the Left Bank, together with Palmer and Cos d’Estournel! 11: Brightening garnet, lilac rim. Nutty, distinctly toasty bouquet, fresh coffee, expansive and very delicate, a dance between red, blue, and a few black berries; fragrant cassis and a hint of dried apricot peels, pralines, and umami. Silky, juicy, and elegant, showing very noble astringency, aromatic finish with a feminine aura, elegant, enduring length. In terms of intrinsic stature an 18‑point wine. But it radiates so much beauty that, thanks to its popular, winning nose and palate, you can, without guilt, grant it one point more. Imminent yet long‑lived pleasure. Was the most successful wine across both tastings. (19/20). 16: Today I wouldn’t praise it quite as highly. At least it seems to have received a bit too much of those good and expensive barriques. Still, it will likely be one of the best 2007s—and with a strong fun factor, too.

Fragrant, sweet, powerful bouquet with cassis, roasted notes and tobacco. Medium-bodied, finely creamy palate with sweet fruit, gentle aromatics and a long, delicate finish. 18/20 drink – 2030

Logo on the cork: K Intense, slightly evolved color. Intense and delicate nose, pure, fruity and finely toasted. This is the finest attack of the series. The wine opens generously and settles on the mid-palate before melting into a great cabernet sauvignon flavor. It lengthens, noble and deep, with even some complexity and plenty of freshness. Bravo!

The wood element is important here, but it is based on a firm Cabernet Sauvignon structure, dry but rich tannins. The wine is a great success for the vintage, giving sweetness, ripe fruit that only shows light extraction, and dark plum and berry flavors. The feeling is of polished fruit and wood, rounded but always dense.