Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac 2023

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 is a very sexy wine. Silky contours wrap around a core of red plum, blood orange, spice, pomegranate, rose petal and cinnamon. More than anything else, I am blown away by the wine's textural finesse and exceptional balance. This vivid, sexy Petit simply has it all. Brisk acids and beams of tannin pull it all together on the lifted, floral-inflected close.

In the running for the best second wine of the vintage, the 2023 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild’s deep purple hue is followed by smoking good aromatics of black cherries, roasted herbs, graphite, and spicy wood. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and layered on the palate, it has ripe, velvety tannins as well as a Mouton-like texture and richness. Drink this beauty over the coming 20-30 years. Drink 2026-2056.

Slate and grip, clear again here that this is not the most exuberant of vintages, it's classical with a serious backbone. That doesn't mean that Petit Mouton isn't out to make you happy, and you can expect plenty of black chocolate, damson, black cherry, signature cocoa bean, espresso and salted cracker, but the tannins are pretty fierce. Harvest September 7 to 30 (but 2/3 of grapes coming in after September 21), 39% of production.

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.

The 2023 Le Petit-Mouton has quite an opulent bouquet with pure blackberry, cassis and violet scents that burst from the glass. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, well-balanced with touches of black pepper and seaweed toward the finish. Give this three years or so in bottle (tasted from two different bottles).

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%.