Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2015

Has gained in firmness through maturation without shedding its fruitiness, with a lingering finish of red currants.

Ripe and fresh, with a well-endowed core of cassis, cherry preserve and raspberry paste flavors, moving through steadily and picking up anise, roasted apple wood and bright iron accents along the way. Best from 2020 through 2030.

This is, in my opinion, the second wine with the most distinctive personality in the world. You smell and you smile. The high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon defines the aromatic and flavour profile, yet this is a wine that always manages to show Cabernet’s sexy side. 50% new oak is perhaps showing just a touch more than usual, but it’s a very, very enjoyable wine that manages to be enticing and fleshy yet fresh. 4% press wine.

Extremely perfumed with dried flowers and dark berries such as plums and cherries. Sandalwood, too. Full-bodied, with integrated tannins and chocolate, walnut and cedar character. Goes on for minutes. Superb second wine of Mouton. Drink in 2022.

The 2015 Le Petit-Mouton is a wine of nobility and pedigree. Sumptuous and generous on the palate, with gorgeous aromatic intensity, the 2015 has so much to offer. In this vintage, Petit is exceptionally refined and nuanced in every way. Time in the glass brings out the wine's more floral and red-toned side. Silky, ripe tannins add to the wine's total allure.

Lead pencil, cigar box, ash, crushed stone and rocks with dark red berries are on the nose and palate. Silky, soft, round textures, lush tannins and juicy, sweet fruits with a tobacco finish tie everything together.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate bright rim. Ripe cherry, underlaid with black cherry and nougat, fine spicy notes. Juicy body, fresh, cherry, fine tannins, lively style, saline finish, already seems well developed, gastronomic style, it has good length.

The winner of the second wines in 2015 is unquestionably the 2015 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild, which is a Cabernet Sauvignon–dominated blend that includes 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Ripe, full-bodied, opulent, and incredibly satisfying, with loads of crème de cassis, graphite, pencil lead, and hints of tobacco, it has more depth and texture than most estates’ top wine.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet highlights on the rim. Floral and quite layered; the fruit seems (still) a bit raw in the background, bramble and cassis, crushed peppercorns. On the palate, lovely silkiness, then—on a second approach—more concentration in the extract than on the nose, with subtly crumbly tannins on the finish. Well-structured and strongly reflective of Mouton.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with a garnet sheen at the rim. Floral and quite layered, the fruit still feels a little raw in the background—bramble and cassis, crushed peppercorns. On the palate, there’s a lovely silkiness; on a second pass it reveals more extract-driven concentration than on the nose, with subtly crumbly tannins on the finish. Shows great potential and reflects much of Mouton.

(78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc) Fresh, restrained, herbal bouquet, blue and black berries, strawberry purée, licorice, graphite, tobacco. Silky, medium-bodied palate with sweet fruit, fine sandy tannins, spicy aromatics, delicately dry finish. 17/20 2023 - 2034

Intense and tight on the attack, but with a lovely finish that relaxes it.

The nose is fine, elegant, racy, harmonious and offers concentration (yet with finesse) as well as racy minerality. It reveals notes of wild blackcurrant, wild strawberry, gravel and Sichuan pepper, combined with fine/discreet hints of violet, incense, spices, a very discreet hint of toasty notes (in the background) as well as an imperceptible hint of cardamom and almond (in the background). The palate is fruity, nicely handled and offers lovely volume, fine definition, beautiful freshness, a delicate acidic backbone, some roundness, a fine structure, delicacy and a beautiful silky texture. On the palate, this wine expresses fleshy/juicy blackberry, crunchy wild strawberry, redcurrant and fine notes of blackcurrant and plum, combined with a touch of tobacco, liquorice, toasty notes and an imperceptible hint of tea. The tannins are well-managed and very slightly supple. Good length. A fine touch of caramelization/crushed almond and an imperceptible hint of cocoa linger on the finish (bringing gourmandise).

This wine is dense and packed with tannins. Its weight and smoky character balance against the generous black currants. Juiciness and acidity go together with the generous structure. Drink from 2024.