Le Petit Mouton 2023

The 2023 Le Petit Mouton offers up aromas of cassis, burning embers and cigar wrapper, framed by a touch of toasty oak. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich, dense and layered, with an ample core of fruit and ripe structuring tannins. Drink 2027-2043.

The 2023 Le Petit-Mouton is aged in 50% new oak. It has an intense nose, mainly black fruit commingling with briar and light estuarine scents. Perhaps the aromatics feel a bit "secretive" at present. The palate is medium-bodied with a concentrated entry. This is a voluminous and powerful Pauillac for the vintage, driven by that 79% Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s a fine bitter edge on the finish; give this Le Petit Mouton three to five years in bottle.

This is a tighter and more compact Petit Mouton with a full-bodied, compact palate that is framed nicely by the tannins. Savory and juicy. Structured. Contained. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better than 2022?

The 2023 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It slowly emerges from the glass with powerful scents of cassis, plum preserves, and tar plus underlying nuances of menthol and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate is soft and refreshing, with just enough mid-palate fruit and a mineral-laced finish. The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.74. The alcohol is 13.3%.