Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2023

Expressive, smoky, ripe fruit, cool at the core; incredibly crisp fruit, wrapped in fine-grained tannins, fresh finish. Successful!

Quite medicinal on the nose with a vibrant purple colour to the rim. Smells rich and ripe but cool and fresh too. Juicy and fun, this makes the mouth water and you want to smile straight away with hints of steely minerality, cool blueberries, crisp cranberries and sweet strawberries. Feels very calm, very accessible, stylish and confident. Harmonious and balanced and easy to enjoy with tannins that coat the mouth with silkiness yet still has amplitude on the palate. Great stuff, very delicious. 39% production. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Tobacco, smoke, flowers, black and red fruits, and spearmint already pop on the nose. The palate delivers elegantly textured currants, spice, herbs, and black raspberries in a refreshing, nuanced, medium-bodied, refined style. Perhaps most importantly, there is lift, sweetness, and creamy texture through the mid-palate and on the finish. The wine blends 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2050.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate nuances of oak, blackberry, savoury notes, a hint of blackberry and nougat. Medium body, fresh red cherry, ripe tannins, appears light-footed, mineral, a salty touch on the finish, a balanced food companion.

Densely interwoven bouquet, soothing cool blackcurrant, elderberry juice, perfumed pipe tobacco. On the multilayered palate, a silky texture, a tight, cocoa-like tannic frame, and vibrant drive. In the concentrated, long finish, elderberry juice, blackberry jelly, and a noble astringency. “This is Mouton,” says Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy proudly. “The vines were able to take their time; the extra ripening shows in the polished tannins.”

Slate and grip, clear again here that this is not the most exuberant of vintages; it's classical, with a serious backbone. That doesn't mean that Petit Mouton isn't out to make you happy, and you can expect plenty of black chocolate, damson, black cherry, signature cocoa bean, espresso and salted cracker, but the tannins are pretty fierce. Harvest September 7 to 30 (but 2/3 of grapes coming in after September 21), 39% of production.

92-94. Barrel Sample. This second wine is smoky with rich tannins and a smooth texture that promises some good aging. It is a structured and powerful wine that should develop well.

Petit Mouton immediately shows freshness and notes that reflect Mouton’s DNA, with a seductive symbiosis of blackcurrant, coffee, cocoa beans, liquorice and a touch of graphite. Dense on the attack, the wine is endowed with silky, fine-grained tannins that provide breadth and vigour. The acidic structure works in the background and helps energise the whole, which otherwise might tend to drift off. An elegant, inviting wine, even responsive on the finish, where this drive helps propel it toward even better days ahead. A poised and thrilling Petit Mouton that clearly shows where it is headed and has everything it needs to further underscore its excellent potential. In short, a higher score is within reach.

Logo on the cork: M1 Dark, intense colour. Highly aromatic, refined nose, fruity and ripe, with a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon character. A hint of vanilla when the glass is swirled. Delicate on the attack, mellow on the mid-palate; the wine melts across the palate—juicy, pleasant, with no tannic harshness. Good length.

The 2023 Le Petit Mouton offers aromas of cassis, burning embers and cigar wrapper, framed by a touch of toasty oak. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it’s rich, dense and layered, with an ample core of fruit and ripe structuring tannins.