Chateau Mouton Rothschild - Le Petit Mouton 2021

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is surprisingly full-bodied and round, reflecting the warmth and sunny exposure of the vineyard around the chateau. Tangy and vivid with currants, fresh flowers and plenty of energy and length. Delicate yet ripe. 77% cabernet sauvignon, 19.5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 0.5% petit verdot. Needs two or three years to come together completely. Drink after 2027."

WEINWISSER: "Auch der Le Petit Mouton konnte gegenüber den Primeurs-Verkostungen vom vergangenen Jahr deutlich zulegen. Er hat eine intensive, dunkle Farbe und präsentiert sich im Geruch mit viel Cabernet-Frucht und likörigen Noten im Obertonbereich, wirkt noch etwas verschlossen und entwicklungsbedürftig. Satt, dicht und kernig, verfügt er über eine großangelegte Struktur. Im Kernaroma erscheint er noch wenig entwickelt, doch hinten verspricht seine schmelzige Extraktsüße eine sehr gute Entwicklung. Drahtiger Verlauf, sehr kraftvoll und intensiv, mit cremig-reifen Gerbstoffen, die sich superfein geschliffen und harmonisch präsentieren. Viel Mouton-Charakter und echte Klasse für einen Zweitwein! 13.0 Vol.-%."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The second wine of this great château, the 2021 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild offers up a mini-Mouton-like nose of pure cassis, graphite, and spicy oak and hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, plenty of fruit and richness, and almost velvety tannins. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 50% new barrels, this textured, focused, impressively concentrated 2021 will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age (which is rare for a second wine) and cruise for 10-15+ years in cold cellars."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Petit Verdot, Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2021 has a deep garnet-purple color. It bursts with notes of black cherries, black raspberries, and redcurrants, leading to suggestions of lavender, underbrush, and camphor, with a waft of pencil lead. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and vivacious with a racy line and fine-grained tannins supporting the crunchy fruit, finishing minerally. Nice!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Tobacco leaf, cigar box, cedar, red with black currants, and savory herbs in the perfume set the wine up. The medium-bodied palate delivers its currants with a healthy dose of tobacco, cigar box, spearmint, and chalk. There is freshness, along with a refreshing, minty-edged endnote. The wine blends 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and a dollop of Petit Verdot to spice things up. 13% ABV. Drink from 2026-2042."

DECANTER: "Beautifully fragrant strawberries and red cherries, just so perfumed and appealing, really a very lovely nose drawing you in. An excellent Petit Mouton in 2021; serious intensity here but also such a liveliness as well as creaminess. It has weight and layers while having fruit intensity and a core of aromatics. There's a softness and delicacy in terms of the tannins and frame - beguiling - but a real base of concentrated blue, red and black fruits - strawberries, red cherries and blackcurrants. You get the stony tones and the clove on the finish but this feels round, expansive and approachable. It's uber glamorous, still with freshness and lift. A gorgeous wine with lots going on! 0.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.73pH. 14% press wine."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Le Petit Mouton wafts from the glass with rich aromas of dark berries, cherries and cassis mingled with licorice, mint and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, it's dense and velvety, with sweet tannins and a long, expansive finish. As readers may remember, since Mouton-Rothschild itself this year derives exclusively from the two plateaus that always make up the core of the blend, the Petit Mouton benefits from the inclusion of parcels that often make it into the grand vin."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Nuancen von Schwarzen Johannisbeeren, etwas Minze und Orangenblüten, zart nach Nugat, facettenreiches Bukett. Mittlere Komplexität, frisch und elegant, dezente Extraktsüße, sehr harmonisches Gesamtbild, salzig-mineralisch im Abgang, bereits jederzeit zu genießen."