2020 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux

2020 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Product: 20208123549
Prices start from £1,198.00 per case Buying options
2020 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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3 x 75cl bottle
BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £638.00
6 x 75cl bottle
BBX marketplace BBX 2 cases £1,198.00
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Description

Cabernet Sauvignon 72%, Merlot 24%, Cabernet Franc 4%

Energy abounds in this wine, from the vibrancy of its colour, through its heady and almost voluptuous bouquet, ending with a generous, persuasive finish. The alcohol is only a notch above 13%. This allows these sensations to bound across the palate, that is until the rather sophisticated tannins apply some discipline. The Mouton signals are all here: a boldness of red and black fruit, a suggestion of bitter chocolate and some deeply perfumed floral scents. Always a wine of intense pleasure, this year there is also just a suggestion of coyness.

Drink 2027-2040

wine at a glance

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Critics reviews

Neal Martin, Vinous92-94/100
The 2020 Le Petit Mouton, which contains a relatively higher level of Cabernet Sauvignon this year, represents 36% of the total production. It has a wonderful, entrancing bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, freshly tilled soil, cedar and emerging floral scents of iris petal and incense. I love the energy on this not so 'petit' Mouton. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and perfectly judged acidity, harmonious and poised with superb mineralité and tension toward the finish. So sophisticated. This is (yet another) great Le Petit Mouton.

Drink from 2025 to 2045

Neal Martin, Vinous (May 2021) Read more
Antonio Galloni, Vinous92-94/100
The 2020 Le Petit-Mouton is a gorgeous wine, but it’s quite different in style from many previous editions because of a high proportion (72%) of Cabernet Sauvignon. Silky and aromatic, but also quite reticent, the 2020 is going to need time to give its best. Bright red berry fruit, blood orange and striking lift from the Cabernet Franc offer tons of appeal. I especially like the aromatics here.

Drink from 2026 to 2040

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (June 2021) Read more
Jane Anson93/100
A serious Petit Mouton, with inky depths to the colour, and plenty of tannic hold and bite, with a lovely bitter chocolate brownie feel that steals up on you through the palate. less sexy and exuberant than in some years perhaps, but this is extremely rewarding, with waves of grilled cocoa beans and intense black fruits.

Drink 2024 - 2038

Jane Anson, Decanter (April 2021) Read more
Wine Advocate91-93/100
The 2020 Le Petit Mouton is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, weighing in with 13.1% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with exuberant notes of ripe blackcurrants, fresh blackberries and kirsch, plus suggestions of Indian spices, clove oil and chocolate box, plus a fragrant suggestion of lilacs. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the tight-knit red and black berry layers, finishing long with a peppery kick.

Drink 2025 - 2042

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (May 2021) Read more
Jancis Robinson MW17.5/20
72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. 36% of the production. Cask sample. Powerful, tense and very Pauillac. Fruit pure and mouth-filling with dark-fruit and graphite notes. Layers of fine-grained, powdery tannin provide a velvety texture as well as length and persistence. Certainly has the structure to age.

Drink 2028 - 2045

James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com (May 2021) Read more
James Suckling97-98/100
This is very, very layered with gorgeous fruit and velvety tannins. Hints of chocolate. Full-bodied and chewy with soft, fine tannins. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Gorgeous second wine.

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2021) Read more
Jeb Dunnuck93-95/100
The 2020 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild is another powerful, concentrated wine, especially in the vintage, and it has a pure, incredibly Cabernet Sauvignon-driven style. Lots of blackcurrants, liquid violets, graphite, and rocky mineral notes emerge on the nose, and this medium to full-bodied, tightly knit, concentrated, structured second wine is going to need a good 4-5 years of bottle age, yet should have two decades of longevity.

Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (May 2021) Read more

About this WINE

Château Mouton Rothschild

Château Mouton Rothschild

Classified as a First Growth, Château Mouton Rothschild has a long and storied history; wine has been made here since Roman times. The property spans 82 hectares of vines in Pauillac, planted with the classic varieties of the region, Cabernet Sauvignon being predominant.

The estate has been in the Baron Philippe de Rothschild family since 1853, but it wasn’t until the arrival of Baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1922 that its fortunes were transformed. Baron Philippe was a dynamic figure who revolutionised the estate and was the first to introduce château-bottling in 1924. He also introduced the concept of commissioning an artist to design each new vintage’s label. Some of the most notable contributors include Salvador Dalí, Henry Moore, Marc Chagall, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Anish Kapoor and Peter Doig.

His daughter Baroness Philippine continued to help raise the estate to new heights with numerous endeavours, including the inauguration of a new vat house in 2013. Today, her three children, Camille and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, continue the efforts of their predecessors.

Following the retirement in 2020 of Philippe Dhalluin, the winemaking team is now headed up by Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy. With his team, he oversees over 83 hectares of vines, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (78%), Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (3%), and Petit Verdot (1%). The average age of the vines is around 50 years.

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Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux remains the centre of the fine wine world. The maritime climate on the 45th parallel provides for temperate winters and long, warm summers, perfect conditions for growing grapes suited to the production of classically-constructed, long-lasting wines. This vast region of 120,000ha of vineyards (four times the size of Burgundy) is home to 10,000 wine producers and 57 different AOCs. Red now makes up 88 percent of Bordeaux wine, and is usually referred to as Claret. The origin of this name was to differentiate the lighter-coloured wines of the coastal region from the deeper "black" wines from up-country regions. 

The Left Bank, comprising the wine regions of the Médoc, Pessac-Léognan and Graves are planted predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives on the gravelly soils left by the ancient course of the river. This is a thick-skinned variety which ripens late, producing powerful, tannic wines capable of long ageing. It is blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and sometimes Petit Verdot. The highlights of the Médoc are the four communes of St- Estèphe (blackcurrant concentration); classical, cedarwood and cigar-box Pauillac; richly-fruited St Julien; and elegant, fragrant Margaux.

On the Right Bank, most famously in St-Emilion and Pomerol, it is the fleshy Merlot grape which prevails, sometimes supported by Cabernet Franc. Here the soils are more mixed, with gravel and clay underpinning the rich, fruity wines of Pomerol. Styles vary more in St-Emilion, depending on the predominance of sand in the lower-lying slopes, or limestone on the hillsides and plateau. 

By the 18th century, individual properties - known as châteaux, however humble - were becoming known for the quality of their wines and in 1855, those of the Médoc (plus Haut-Brion, a property commended by Samuel Pepys as early as 1663) were classified into five levels of classed growths. Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Haut Brion were cited as First Growths, to whose ranks Mouton Rothschild was elevated by presidential decree in 1973. Beneath the ranks of the classed growths lies a raft of fine châteaux known as Crus Bourgeois, while a host of less well-known "petits châteaux" still makes attractive, enjoyable Claret at affordable prices.

The other jewel in the Bordeaux crown is the district of Sauternes, making some of the most outstanding sweet white wines in the world (from the likes of Châteaux d'Yquem, Rieussec and Climens). The foggy autumn mornings along the banks of the Garonne River near Sauternes and neighbouring Barsac enable the noble rot, botrytis cinerea, to form on the skins of the grapes, which can still ripen in the afternoon sun as late as the end of October or early November. The Sémillon grape is the prime component, but Sauvignon Blanc and a little Muscadelle are also planted to provide insurance if the weather is less favourable to Sémillon, as well as offering a counterpoint in flavour.

There are many inexpensive dry white wines - more Sauvignon than Sémillon - from regions such as Entre-Deux-Mers and Graves, with just a handful of outstanding properties located in Pessac-Léognan. The most famous of the great dry whites hail from Châteaux Haut Brion, Laville Haut Brion and Domaine de Chevalier.

The finer wines of Bordeaux are sold en primeur in the late spring following the harvest, some two years before the wines are ready for physical delivery. The châteaux offer their wines through a system of Bordeaux négociants (brokers) who sell them on to importers round the world. Prices vary enormously from one vintage to another, dependent on perceived quality and world demand, which shows no signs of diminishing, especially for the great years.

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Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.

In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and  Australia.

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