Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2018 tasting notes on futures and ratings “en primeur” by Ronald Rens, M.Sc., Wine Master, Bordeaux Expert

Click here to see a video about tasting Mouton Rothschild 2018 from barrel

The futures tasting at Mouton Rothschild is always a combination of theatrics and a warm family feeling. I was chauffeur driven from Mouton’s visitor’s center to the tasting room by uniformed drivers. After a drive of almost three minutes I entered the tasting room where Philippe de Sereys de Rothschild welcomed me on behalf or the family. Philippe Dhalluin, the ever modest and very talented Estate Manager had a twinkle in his eye when he presented me yet another great Mouton.
Mouton’s Technical Director Erick Tourbier was eager to show me the Mouton 2018 as we discussed the vintage during the harvest at Mouton. With Eric I tasted the Mouton 2018 straight from the barrel and then it was already extraordinary. You can see the video on the Mouton Rothschild harvest 2018 by clicking on the picture.

Tasting the Mouton Rothschild 2018 with Philippe Dhalluin

Great second wine

Philippe Dhalluin explained to me that the Petit Mouton (the second wine) comes from vines that are on a somewhat lesser terroir. In very dry vintages they tend to suffer the most but not this year. When Dhalluin was creating the blend for the Petit Mouton he thought: “Maybe we have been a bit too strict on our selection. Much of this wine could have entered into the Grand Vin.” As a result they tried using these wines in the Mouton Blend, but “somehow it didn’t work. So we said: well then we are going to make a super Petit Mouton.” “The Merlots have not been as good since 2010,”Dhalluin adds with a smile. “At Mouton we have the means to do what has to be done so the mildew didn’t bother us that much and we managed to reduce the loss to a mere 2%.”

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2018

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2018 (19- points)
[56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc]

A very concentrated color with some ruby and purple. A rich and expressive nose with loads of fruit, notably raspberry, cherry and red currant. On opening up there are some hints of mint and licorice. On the palate the full-bodied wine is rich and powerful but with an excellent expression of fruit. Super ripe tannins. Great structure and length for “just” a second wine. The Petit Mouton continues its journey towards excellence within the league of second wines of the First Growths.

Mouton Rothschild 2018 (20- points)
[86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc]

Mouton Rothschild 2018

Somewhat deeper color than the Petit Mouton but not by much. A bit more concentration around the rim. Beautiful expressive nose with extraordinary ripe fruit. Like their neighbors at Lafite, Dhalluin mastered choosing the right moment for picking at the perfect ripeness and as a result there is not a hint of jammy aromas on the nose. Just great ripe fruit, notably cherry and blackberry. A discreet layer of the typical Mouton spiciness. The silky tannins are simply lovely and perfectly interwoven in a creamy texture. Dhalluin explained that the wine technically resembles the 2016 vintage but the 2018 has even more concentration. Where the 2017 Mouton favored freshness over opulence the 2018 is the opposite. The wine is simply opulent and is less focused on the freshness. Having said that, the Mouton 2018 has a beautiful balance in the freshness, tannins and the fruit. This is definitely a vintage for the long term. Very good indeed.

Aile d’Argent 2018

Aile d’Argent 2018 (19- points) The white wine of Chateau Mouton Rothschild
[55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Semillon]

Beautiful clean golden yellow color. An every expressive nose. As usual this wine seems to jump out of the glass. Almost tropical fruit. I found some pineapple and papaya interwoven with citrus fruit and peach. I could just sit here and enjoy smelling this wine because of the super nose. On the palate the wine shows a bit lighter than the previous years. Lovely and crisp with a modest freshness and minerality. Nice and round with a good length. Lacks a bit of freshness in my opinion.

Wine lovers who viewed these tasting notes  also viewed:

2018 Chateau Lafite Rothschild | 2018 Chateau Latour | 2018 Chateau Margaux | 2018 Chateau Haut Brion | 2018 Chateau Ausone | 2018 Chateau Cheval Blanc | 2018 Chateau Angelus | 2018 Chateau Pavie |