2009 Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac

With its ripe, intense blackcurrant nose and succulent palate, Le Petit Mouton is a great example of the exceptional quality of the second wines of the grands châteaux in 2009. This is rich and delicious with very juicy fruit and ripe tannins leading to a complex, savoury finish. This will be wonderful to drink in a few year’s time whilst waiting for the Grand Vin to mature.Château Mouton Rothschild

Fine dark red, beautiful cassis nose, fragrant and plummy, silky/satiny texture, very seductive classy black fruits with good tannin back-up.
(Steven Spurrier - Decanter - April 2010)

63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc – one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Franc. Very solid and rather arresting on the nose. Then just a little rustic on the palate. Chewy tannins – not the ultra-suppleness of, say, Carruades and Les Forts. More of an obvious second wine? Rather drying tannins on the finish.
(Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com - April 2010)

This is the most backward and unevolved of all the Left Bank (Medoc) first-growths. In 10-20 years, the 2009 Mouton Rothschild should rank alongside the greatest vintages of the last three decades (1986 and the index of tannins, the highest ever measured, a whopping 20% higher than the next highest vintage. The tannins, while present, are silky and well-integrated, one of the hallmarks of the 2009 vintage. An inky/purple color is accompanied by classic aromas of creme de cassis, violets, and hints of graphite and background oak. The overwhelming impression is one of layer upon layer of fruit, full-bodied opulence, and good structure. It tastes as if it were 2-3 months old rather than a post-malolactic, fully assembled barrel sample ... it's that and 1982). Yields were a small 30 hectoliters per hectare, the final blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot, and the finished alcohol is 13.2% (not particularly high in this vintage). The pH is 3.81, young, but so incredibly promising. A 50- to 100-year wine? Probably.

The second wine, the 2009 Le Petit Mouton, is the finest second wine they have ever made. Aromas of black currants, flowers, mocha, and earth jump from the glass of this fleshy, heady, full-bodied wine. The final blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, and the alcohol level is slightly higher than the Mouton's. It should drink well for 15+ years.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - April 2010)

Impressive aromas of mint, mineral and black fruits follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and persistent finish. Dense and well-structured. 63 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 percent Merlot and 15 percent Cabernet Franc.
(James Suckling - Wine Spectator - April 2010)