Terwijl de directeur van Mouton Rothschild de omtrek van zijn hoofd laat meten met een lintmeter, kijkt hij me aan en zegt droogweg: “En France on mesure tout. C’est pour l’exécution”. Hoe moet ik aandachtig proeven in deze omstandigheden? Professionaliteit neemt de bovenhand en algauw sta ik voor een nog vrij gesloten, bevragende neus met accenten van koffieboontjes, zwarte chocolade en barbecue. Mooi is het zeker, en de hinten worden groots op de tong uitgespreid met een waar Cabernet Sauvignon karakter (cassis en grafiet), met sappig rijp fruit met herinneringen aan steranijs en kruidnagel er bovenop. Een fenomenale ampleur, excellente mineraliteit en schitterende fraîcheur. Deze gepolijste en soepele Mouton heeft minder die typische Mouton-opulentie dan in een millésime solaire, maar echt wel bijzonder, mooi en elegant. Klasse! En by the way, het hele team van Mouton krijgt binnenkort een chieke Borsalino als hoofddeksel…
IN DE PERS
94-96 Neal Martin – vinous.com (Mei 2018)
The 2017 Mouton-Rothschild was picked from 7 to 29 September and matured in 100% new oak. This First Growth is driven by the Cabernet Sauvignon, as you would expect given the high percentage, expressive pencil lead and cedar that infuse the slightly introspective black fruit. Dare I say that it actually reminds me of Latour in style? The palate is medium-bodied, finely tuned and precise, a more masculine Mouton-Rothschild compared to the last three vintages, fresh with a sustained, lightly spiced finish that lingers in the mouth. That backbone is accentuated more during my second visit in mid-April. It is a cliché but this Mouton-Rothschild is unashamedly “classic” in style, perchance “le petit frère” of the 2010 Mouton-Rothschild that also contained a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon (though before you search the archives, yes, the 2011 and 2012 contained the same proportion!) Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drink 2022-2050.
92-95 Antonio Galloni – vinous.com (Mei 2018)
The 2017 Mouton Rothschild is a powerful wine for the year, probably because of the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Dense and closed in on itself, the 2017 is likely going to require quite a bit of time to soften. Raspberry jam, pomegranate and blood orange add lift and perfume with time in the glass. There is quite a bit of energy and brightness in the 2017, but not as much immediacy as is common for the vintage. That may ultimately turn out to be a positive for the wine's long term prospects. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. "After the frost, which did not really affect us, the major challenge in 2017 was heat stress," Mouton Technical Director Philippe Dhalluin told me. "We had no rain until the end of June. Then, in September, when we needed a bit of rain again, we got more than double what would have been optimal. The September rain affected the Merlot and Cabernet Franc, while the Cabernet Sauvignon was able to take advantage of the last 15 days of the growing season, which were much more favorable. In the cellar, we opted for longer macerations at lower temperatures, as we wanted to avoid extracting the type of hard tannins that mark other vintages with very dry summers, such as 2011."
96 Jane Anson – decanter.com (April 2018)
Vibrancy is one of the key themes of the year in the most successful properties, and this has bright, plump fruit and good depth of colour, even if it's less concentrated than the past few vintages. The Pauillac first growths have done a great job in 2017, and it's hard to question the depth of fruit and richness here - there's no doubting that this is a great Mouton. Cassis and blackberry notes are delivered with precision, but there is a clear restraint that is another signature of 2017, and perhaps doesn't reflect Mouton's personality as much as some of its neighbours. There's not the same weight of tannins as 2016 (around 70 IPT this year, still a high amount), but it's a beautiful, persistent, gorgeous wine that will age gracefully. 100% new oak. (Image is the 2015 bottle; the design for the 2017 label will be revealed later). Drink 2027-2042.
97-99 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – robertparker.com (April 2018)
The 2017 Mouton Rothschild has one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon ever at 90%, with 9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose is already singing of crushed black currants, warm blackberries and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of violets, star anise, cinnamon stick and cloves plus wafts of pencil lead and unsmoked cigars. Medium-bodied, wonderfully delicate yet intense in the mouth (gaining some richness in the mid-palate on my second taste two and a half weeks later), it has super fine-grained, smooth tannins and incredible freshness, finishing very long with tons of tightly wound layers. Wow. This vintage is going to be very long-lived in the cellar!
97-98 James Suckling – jamessuckling.com (Maart 2018)
This is a very shy and tight Mouton with blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of terracotta. Full body and very integrated tannins that are extremely polished and beautiful. Spicy and white-pepper finish. Sexy and exciting. So long and refined.
18/20 Julia Harding MW – jancisrobinson.com (April 2018)
Healthy, glowing deep crimson with soft cherry rim. Rocky/smoky cassis lift to the aroma. Fragrant with sober and non-exotic fruit. Serious. Super-fine texture, appears gentle but is very persistent, so fresh and effortless and yet intense and long. Refined and accessible but long term too. Drink 2027-2047.
95-97 Jeb Dunnuck – jebdunnuck.com (April 2018)
Compared to the 2014 (and better than 2011 and 2012) by the estate, the 2017 Mouton-Rothschild is a final blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, harvested from the 7th to the 29th of September, brought up all in new barrels. This beauty is going to check in behind the sensational 2015 but is unquestionably one of the gems in the vintage. Crème de cassis, graphite, Asian spice, and cedar pencil notes all flow to a rich, full-bodied, deep, layered beauty that has tons of potential. Hitting 13.1% alcohol, it has more texture and depth than most and will need 4-6 years of cellaring. Production is down over 10% due more to the dry summer than any frost damage.
96 Jean-Marc Quarin – quarin.fr (April 2018)
90-93 James Molesworth – winespectator.com (Maart 2018)
18-18,5/20 Revue des Vins de France – rvf.com (April 2018)
96-98 Roger Voss – wineenthusiast.com (April 2018) Mouton RothschildMouton werd Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1973 dank zij de niet aflatende inzet van baron Philippe de Rothschild, een stijlvol en gecultiveerd man. Vijftig jaar deed hij erover. In 1922 kocht hij het Château van de familie. In 1924 lanceerde hij samen met Margaux de “Mise au Château” gevolgd door de bouw van de Grand Chai in 1926. In 1933 kocht hij het naburige d’Armailhac.
Mouton kan perfect zijn zoals in 1945, 1959, 1982 of 1986. Haut Brion lijkt dan lichter, Margaux misschien minder compleet, Latour te intens en Lafite strenger… Maar soms is het ook een stuk minder fraai zoals 1990 en zeker tijdens de povere, schralere jaren 1970. De redenen voor het succes van Mouton zijn nochtans veelvuldig: er waren de flamboyante persoonlijkheden van Philippe de Rothschild en zijn dochter Philippine, er is zijn opulentie in de grote wijnjaren dat contrasteert met het austere Lafite of het gespierde Latour, en er is het kunstig etiket dat van Mouton een collector’s item maakt. Vandaag staat Mouton er weer: na de perfecte parkerscores voor 1945, 1959, 1982 en 1986, zijn 2005 en 2009 nieuwe referenties.
Het opzet van Baron Philippe de Rothschild was om van wijn kunst te maken. Dit symboliseerde hij vanaf 1945 met het etiket, dat elk jaar door een andere kunstenaar werd ontworpen, Picasso, Warhol of Prince Charles om er maar een paar te noemen. Mouton huist bovendien een “Musée du Vin dans l’Art”. DhalluinWijnmaker Philippe Dalhuin zette orde op zaken op Mouton Rothschild: enkel druiven geplukt op de historische kern van de wijngaard (60% van de oppervlakte) komen nog in aanmerking voor de Grand Vin. Een nieuwe cuverie werd gebouwd om met nieuwe, kleinere cuves preciezere vinificaties te kunnen doorvoeren. Onder “druk” van buurman Pontet Canet slaat het team van Mouton met Château Clerc Millon resoluut de groene weg in. "Second je fus, Mouton ne change"? Ondertussen nam Jean Emmanuel Donjoy zijn functie over.
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