Château Mouton Rothschild 2023

97-99. Barrel Sample. The wine has intense concentration with its powerful tannins from the 93% Cabernet Sauvignon picked during a late harvest. Classic, powerful and succulent black-currant flavors along with the wine's concentrated structure promise long-term aging.

The 2023 Mouton Rothschild has a deep, opaque hue. The bouquet is immediately satisfying with a controlled explosion of blackberry, cassis and violets that is quintessential Mouton. Very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied yet intense, quite chiseled tannins, gentle grip, supremely well focused with a captivating, mineral-driven finish that is less flamboyant in style compared to recent vintages. Very persistent, this is a Mouton Rothschild with grandeur.

Discreet, with nobility and depth, smoky, dark chocolate, mint over clear fruit. On the palate, racy and precise, tannins carved from stone, marked acidity, a wine full of life, dynamism and elegance.

Gorgeous red and black fruit on the nose, ripe strawberries, cherries and blackcurrants, really fruit forward and expressive, not so much on the mineral or floral side. Smooth and supple, this is agile and has great movement. A sense of life, depth and richness, but this is so suave. The fruit and tannins fill the mouth but with wonderful coolness – blueberry and crisp cherry. Lots of liquorice and wet stones also come through; graphite, chalk, mint, a touch of toastiness on the finish. It has flashes of exoticism, as well as finesse. Structure and seriousness but with bounce, full of texture and nuance. Tannins have built a broad wine and this is a real success with lots of energy and vibrancy throughout but with no harsh acidity or too lean tannins. Stylish, characterful and executed very well. 11% press wine, last year was 17%. 93% Cabernet in the blend, second highest in history after 2010 which was 94%. 75 IPT. 40% grand vin production. A potential 100-point wine.

93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot. Cask sample. Pure Cabernet-cassis aroma. Juicy and gourmand on the palate but with a steely tannic frame behind. Good density and still tightly wound. Will need time. (JL)

Cigar wrappers, wet forest floor, blackberries, cassis, flowers, smoke and spice aromatics get the wine going aromatically. The palate is vibrant, energetic, soft, and polished. The finish is elegant, silky, and long, with lingering notes of dark chocolate, blackberries, creme de cassis, and an array of exotic spices which kick in at the end of the finish. The wine blends 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Merlot. Drink from 2030-2070.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Fine oak savouriness, black forest berries, delicate hints of blackberry and liquorice, tobacco nuances. Juicy, elegant, fine red berry notes of cranberry, silky, fine tannins, fresh acid structure, pleasant cherry fruit on the finish, salty aftertaste, lingers, a lively food companion, a hint of cassis in the aftertaste.

This was one of my 100 point potentials when tasting En Primeur, and it's fully delivering. It has closed down in the way that Petit Mouton has opened up, and here I really feel the full power of the tannic grip, one of the highest amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon on record, coiled and still-concealing a ton of graphite, cocoa bean, cool blue fruits set against creamy damson, cigar box, crayon, sandalwood, incense, promise. A long lived Mouton, with depth, power and balance at just over 13%, the magic of these soils. 100% new oak for ageing, harvest September 7 to 30.

A lovely nose that is elegant, precise, powerful and racy, offering a certain racy intensity with elegance, concentration and finesse, vibrant. It reveals notes of bright boysenberry, vivid blackcurrant and, more lightly, bigarreau cherry, joined by hints of infusion—almost herbal notes—fresh Madagascar pepper, and discreet touches of cornflower, star anise, graphite, bright red berries and blueberry. Nicely complex and multi-layered, yet all in elegance and classicism. The palate is attractively mineral, fresh, elegant and balanced, with fine definition, precision, accuracy, refined tension, a silky, airy feel, power and precision/finesse at once. It shows notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, bright blackcurrant and, more lightly, bigarreau cherry, combined with lovely touches of racy minerality, iodized gravel, as well as hints of fairly ripe small red berries, a subtle touch of star anise, nutmeg, tonka bean in the background and toasted almond. Nicely legible, great definition, precision. A subtle hint of tonka bean on the finish and tobacco, a subtle touch of smoke.

Some wines take their place among the elite right from the outset, without lengthy explanations or endless arguments. They simply stand there, leaving room for interpretation, while still laying down clear markers to set the scene. The freshness and vigor of the Cabernet are immediately apparent, as is the understated work of the aging in the background. Notes of blueberry, cedar, graphite, cigar box, and eucalyptus contribute greatly. On the palate, the wine shows a more understated profile. It literally tiptoes in, yet it doesn’t hesitate to reveal muscle and character. The tannins unfold gradually and delicately, fully aware of their power, heightened by a structuring acidity that reinforces the wine’s momentum. A quiet strength that completes its framework and sets its sights on the highest levels of excellence.

Logo on the cork: K1 Deep black colour. An intense, refined, fruity and subtle nose. It becomes pure and precise with a swirl of the glass. Profound nuances of dark fruits. Meticulous on the attack, very aromatic through the mid-palate, with a classy texture and dark-fruit flavours, the wine stays straight and true, fleshy and powerful, leading into a long, juicy finish with that Pauillac-like tannic structure that melts into the lingering aftertaste. This is the second vintage with the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (93%), after 2010 (94%).

The 2023 Mouton Rothschild unwinds in the glass with a rich bouquet of dark berries, cedar box, cigar wrapper and violets, framed by a generous application of toasty oak. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a broad attack and a deep, layered, ample mid-palate, it's a fleshy, muscular wine, built around youthfully chalky tannins that will reward some bottle age.