Château Mouton Rothschild 2006

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. -- Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2034. 15,830 cases made.

The breadth and depth of this wine is impossible to ignore. Tobacco notes blend with cappuccino, cedar and grilled almonds. This is classy, with just the right amount of abandon. Grilled black fruits are very Mouton, but with the touch of austerity and pulled-in, pared-down tannins that tell you it’s 2006. Complex and complete.

This is an eye-opener with a tight core of complex fruit character as well as subtle chocolate and spices. Full body, firm tannins and a classy finish. Holding back. Much better than expected. A vintage forgotten. Better in 2018.

The 2006 Mouton Rothschild is a vintage that I have not encountered for some time. Compared directly with the 2008, it is deeper in colour. Aromas of dark blackberry and Dorset plum are quite intense. Just a touch of liquorice emerges with time and becomes more mentholé with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, quite fleshy in the context of the vintage, but I appreciate its silver thread of acidity. With gentle but insistent grip and satisfying sapidity on the finish, this Mouton-Rothschild is drinking perfectly now and might surpass modest expectations. Tasted at 67 Pall Mall, a few days later at the château and at the Heart's Delight charity masterclass.

Firm, classic, and still stoic, the wine is powerful, concentrated, long, full-bodied, and tannic, yet it remains stubbornly young, clinging to its structured side, so if you own any, you will need plenty of patience. Drink from 2030–2070.

I loved the 2006 Château Mouton Rothschild, a complex, nuanced, flawlessly balanced Mouton based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot. Tobacco, cedarwood, lead pencil shavings, and both red and black fruits define the bouquet, and this is clearly in its prime drink window, with a terrific mix of ripe fruit and just developing secondary aromas. Full-bodied and concentrated, with sweet tannins, this elegant, layered, silky 2006 has another 20 years of prime drinking. The label comes from the famed English portrait painter Lucien Freud (1922-2011).

Very deep wine-red with violet, almost black highlights. Classic Mouton cassis bouquet, dense, full and sweet, with underlying black dried berries, Bounty coconut, dark pralines, chocolate-coated coffee beans, a mineral touch, turpentine nuances, heady. On the palate, surprisingly juicy, with fine, very elegant tannins, silky texture, balanced astringency, a finish full of spicy notes, delicate chocolate bitterness, plenty of cassis again, strongly reminiscent of the 1994, perhaps with a touch more power, but also a “noble arrogance,” brilliant length.

Silky texture, sweet, dense bouquet, cassis, licorice, roasted notes, mint, mocha. A silkier, creamier, finely opulent palate with concentrated fruit, fine tannins, dense, full aromatics, long, concentrated finish. 19/20 drink - 2038

Undoubtedly the most impressive Second wine of the Médoc in this vintage, partly due to its more luxurious ageing in new oak than others, but also thanks to the clarity of its terroir expression, the breadth of its texture, and its generous precision in tannic support. In fact, the difference with the Grand vin comes from the character of the integrated Cabernet Francs and a different parcel selection.

Logo on the cork: K Dark, intense color, barely evolved. An intense, delicate, subtle nose, with a toasty note that hints at Mouton. Lovely silky entry on the palate; the mid-palate lacks a bit of flesh, but the wine is flavorful. Coffee and toast on the finish. Plenty of taste.

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot. One of the highest proportions of Cabernet in a long time. Very dark ruby with purple and almost black highlights. Classic Mouton cassis bouquet, dense, full and sweet, with underlying black dried berries, Bounty-style coconut, dark pralines, coffee dessert beans, a mineral touch, turpentine nuances, heady. On the palate, surprisingly juicy because the tannins are fine and very elegant, silky texture, balanced astringency, the finish shows plenty of spice notes, delicate chocolate bitterness and again lots of cassis. Strongly resembles its own 1994, perhaps with a touch more power, but also “noble arrogance,” brilliant length. (19/20). 14: Over two evenings during a Wine & Dine in Lausanne. Wild bouquet, glutamate, game bird notes, then the enormous sauce. On the palate, lots of plum tones, slightly dry tannins, though that may also stem from the astringency. Shows quite a bit of volume in the body, so this will be a fairly hefty Mouton.

96-98 Barrel Sample The best Mouton for several years. It has great power, great structured Cabernet fruit, and dense, almost dusty tannins. The flavors are concentrated, dense, dark. Power and style.

A major sleeper of the vintage and a great effort, the 2006 Mouton-Rothschild boasts abundant notes of crème de cassis, licorice, truffles, forest floor and cedarwood. The stunning aromatics are still somewhat primary, but the wine is full-bodied with sweet, abundant tannin. Built like a skyscraper with multiple dimensions, this super-concentrated, beautiful blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot should drink well for 30+ years.