Since the justifiably famous 1982 vintage, Chateau Mouton Rothschild has been talked about as much for their inconsistencies as for the quality of their product. To their credit however they have taken action and have begun, once again, releasing wines of a quality to match the greatness of the Mouton name.
Much of the credit for this remarkable renaissance must go to Master Wine Maker Philippe Dhalluin. The estate was impressed enough after Dhalluin’s vintage of 2006 to hand him greater control and he set about producing less wine with lower yields and making much needed improvements to the cellars and the wine making facilities. The results have been clear to taste. 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009 have produced wines of exceptional quality and exuberance and the 2010 promises to return Mouton Rothschild to its place as one of the pre-eminent Left Bank estates.
Early tastings have had critics falling over themselves to find the most extravagant superlatives. Many say it will match those grand old vintages of 1982 and 1986 and even, whisper it, the hallowed 1961.
Even at this young age the Mouton Rothschild 2010 is dense, rich, mouth-coating and opulent, the nose showing hints of crème de cassis, Asian spices, tobacco, coffee and toasty oak. The Le Petit de Mouton Rothschild, the estate’s second wine, while naturally less concentrated and delivering less complexity and spice than its much-lauded sister, is nonetheless a fine wine, showing oak, spice and blackberry aromas, a medium to full-bodied palate with a coffee, cassis and black fruit finish.