Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac 2015

In contrast to the precise, backward, yet massive 2016, the 2015 Château Mouton Rothschild offers a gorgeous, up-front, spicy perfume of spiced black and blue fruits, smoked tobacco, new leather, and lead pencil shavings. These carry to a full-bodied, deep, rich, layered, incredibly sexy wine that has beautiful tannins, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. More in the style of the 2009, this already offers pleasure today yet will nevertheless evolve for 50+ years.

Drink 2023 - 2075

100% new oak. 11% press wine. Hold +5 years or carafe 6 hours.

Rich and vibrant ruby in colour with violet reflections at 8 years old. This was a warm and generous vintage, and this stunning wine can trick you into believing that it is remarkably approachable already, until the supple but plentiful tannins begin their slow build through the palate. Ripe with blackberry and damson fruit, cocoa bean, toasted sandalwood and fragrant crushed rose aromatics, this takes the architecture and power of Pauillac and gives it lyrical depths. I would resist the temptation to open now, and allow the slow unroll of First Growth complexity to continue for another decade or so.

Drink 2028 - 2050

The 2015 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak with a mid-July 2017 bottling. Deep garnet-purple coloured, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, creme de cassis and grilled meats, featuring perfectly accessorized accents of sandalwood, cinnamon stick and fenugreek with wafts of dried roses, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil. 

Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with rich, ripe black fruits sparked with blue and red fruit undertones and an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins, with seamless freshness and an epically long, earth-laced finish. This 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention, possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting.

Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, and drink it over the next 30+ years.

My joint top wine with Ch Margaux) of the vintage. A real firework display but still controlled. Very rich on the palate: broad yet silky, earthy yet so refined. This is Mouton at a new peak and it’s hard to imagine a better balance of elegance and power.

Drink 2024 - 2050

The 2015 is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc that spend 19 months in 100% new French oak.

In 2015, Mouton Rothschild is fabulous. A big, towering wine, the 2015 makes its presence felt with layers of super-ripe dense fruit and striking textural resonance that carries all the way through to the finish. The 2015 is much more reticent from bottle than it was from barrel, which is not at all surprising, but is something readers should take into account. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2015 Mouton is a wine of classically inspired proportions. I can't wait to taste it in another 15-20 years.

Drink 2025 - 2055

Very racy and refined with super polished tannins and focused dark fruits. Blackberry, orange peel, and black currants. Full. Very long and thought-provoking. A wine that delivers power and finesse. Juicy and fresh.

The 2015 Mouton-Rothschild has more fruit intensity on the nose than the 2015 Château Margaux and also more red than black fruit: the raspberry and wild strawberry scents are more expressive than the blackberry and briary ones. The oak is neatly integrated here, although I would have liked a little more delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and vivacious red and black fruit, though it is the silky texture that really wins you over. There’s not a single hair out of place on the finish. Perhaps the aromatics just need to up their game. I was expecting a little more.