Mouton Rothschild 2011

The nose has a lot of fruit sweet black fruits backed by slightly fresher red. The mix of flavours gives complexity fresh at first but sweeter in the middle. Tannins give support but feel ripe and although the back palate if full of rich black fruits there is some freshness that gives both elegance and charm

A really impressive performance from Mouton, thanks to careful selection and the exclusion of heat-affected Merlot from the plateau. This has some of Mouton's pomp and New World-style flavours, with flashy oak and ripe, textured fruit, but the underlying wine is very fine indeed, with fresh Cabernet Sauvignon notes bringing balance and poise. Finely judged, this is a mini triumph for Philippe Dhalluin and his team. 15+ years

Ripe black fruits on the nose, the succulence expected from Mouton with wonderful depth, purity and richness of texture, a great example of the vineyard. Drink 2017-2040.

The dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Mouton Rothschild (90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc) displays tell-tale notes of creme de cassis, vanillin and spicy oak, more tannin than many of the Pauillacs, and a solid, medium-bodied, concentrated, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon personality. Still tightly-knit and closed, but with lots of potential, it is a big, firmly structured Mouton that may turn out to be slightly austere. However, there are many reasons for optimism as well, so forget it for 7-8 years. It has 2-3 decades of aging potential. Only 54% of the production made the grade for Mouton Rothschild. DRINK:2021 - 2051

Mouton's classic note of creme de cassis is well-displayed in this inky purple-colored wine. Significantly more powerful, rich and textured than its nearby neighbor, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton boasts superb intensity, stunning concentration, and plenty of sweet tannin. This is an impressively built, full-throttle wine that will require 5-8 years of cellaring and should keep for 25-30 years thereafter. It should prove to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage. Mouton Rothschild harvested between September 12-26, producing a final blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. One of the vintage's great wines, it is a candidate for wine of the vintage. According to administrator Philippe Dalhuin, only 54% of the production went into the grand vin.

Tasted twice, two weeks apart at the property. The 2011 is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc (the first time it has been blended since 2005) and cropped at 30.1hl/ha. It has a tightly wound Cabernet nose with graphite and cedar aromas, blackberry and a touch of cassis. Leaving the glass to one side, there is fine minerality and delineation here. The palate is very composed on the entry with supple tannins that are a little thicker and more saturated than Lafite. This has very good density, more like Latour than Lafite and a silver thread of acidity (pH 3.8). It has superb precision and tension on the finish that does not quite possess the persistency that a great vintage would have given. But this is still very impressive: a quintessential Mouton that may warrant a higher mark after bottling. Tasted April 2012.

This is delicious with a gorgeous ripe fruit with hints of chocolate, lightly toasted oak and blueberries. Salty and savory. Long and very caressing. But then it goes on for a long, long time with firm tannins. Is it a baby 1986, one of the greats of Mouton? 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc