The estate
In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired Château Brane-Mouton at an auction. Located in the heart of the Médoc, in Pauillac, he renamed the estate Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1924, Baron Philippe de Rothschild took over the running of the estate. A true pioneer, he decided to start bottling directly on the estate and designed the label of the wine. 1973 marked the year when Château Mouton Rothschild became a Premier Cru Classé. Iconic in the Pauillac appellation, Château Mouton Rothschild has made fine Bordeaux wines shine throughout the world.
The vineyard
Situated to the north-west of Bordeaux, in the Médoc, Château Mouton Rothschild’s vineyard spreads across 90 hectares. The vines are planted on gravelly soils that retain the heat and release it during the night, thus favouring the ripening of the grapes. These poor, draining soils rest on a clay-gravel subsoil, giving this fine Pauillac wine a unique powerful, elegant and tannic structure.
The vintage
A very wet winter and spring preceded an extremely dry summer and autumn. The high temperatures in summer led to water stress and resulted in small, concentrated grapes, these weather conditions also favoured a slow, high-quality ripening process. Harvesting began on September 26th with the Merlot and ended on October 14th. The density and aromatic richness of the 2016 vintage can thus be compared to the 21st century’s finest vintages.
The blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (83%)
Merlot (15%)
Cabernet Franc (1%)
Petit Verdot (1%).
The tasting
Colour
This wine is a beautiful cherry red colour, dark and intense.
Nose
Delicate and aromatic, the nose reveals fragrances of ripe black fruits (blueberries, blackcurrants) and flowers. When aerated, peppery and spicy notes emerge along with elegant notes of graphite and light tobacco.
Palate
Full and generous, this wine seduces the palate with its silky and enfolding tannins. Black fruit aromas are combined with notes of cocoa and biscuits. On the finish, the wine is round and reveals a delicious aromatic persistence.
Composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Mouton Rothschild has an opaque garnet-purple color. WOW--the nose explodes from the glass with powerful blackcurrant cordial, black raspberries, blueberry pie and melted chocolate notions, plus suggestions of aniseed, camphor, lifted kirsch and the faintest waft of a subtle floral perfume in the background. Full-bodied, concentrated, bold and totally seductive in the mouth, it has very fine-grained, silt-like tannins, while jam-packed with tightly wound fruit layers, finishing in this wonderful array of mineral sparks. Magic.