Critic Notes
Very rich and chewy and polished. The soft and silky tannins coat your mouth. Full and savory. Excellent. Mar 2016, www.JamesSuckling.com
Score: 93-94/100James Suckling
This second label of Mouton Rothschild is composed of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, representing approximately 25% of the crop. Medium-deep garnet purple colored, the 2015 Le Petit Mouton opens with ripe, seductive cassis, crushed blackberries and black forest cake notes giving way to hints of menthol, new leather, chargrill and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied with a bright, racy line of refreshing acidity cutting through the generous flavors, it has a solid frame of grainy tannins and a vibrant finish. Very impressive. Feb 2018, www.robertparker.com
Score: 93-/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Bright, broad cassis fruit and all the exuberance typical of Mouton, but more grip than in the past thanks to the new cellar. No hint here of this being a second wine. Apr 2016, Steven Spurrier, www.Decanter.com, Drink: 2020-2030
Score: 92-/100DecanterDrinking Window: 2020-2030
The 2015 Le Petit Mouton is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, matured in 40% new oak and the remainder one-year-old. It has a very intense bouquet for this deuxième vin, a far cry from the rustic wines produced in the 1990s. It is almost opaque, a wall of blackberry, cassis and tobacco aromas, perhaps the most powerful that I have ever tasted under this label. Over ten minutes, I noticed it become more sensual and rounded. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, like the aromatics, incredibly powerful and assertive. Wonderful delineation here, very mineral-driven with a bravura of a finish. It begged the question...is this really a second wine? Maybe they should rename it "Le Grand Mouton"? It is amazing to think how humdrum vintages of this were in the 1990s. This is a completely different wine to those. Apr 2016, www.eRobertParker.com, Drink: 2020-2040
Score: 91-93/100Neal MartinDrinking Window: 2020-2040
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. 29% of the crop. Lively aromatic wine. Pretty sinewy and vigorous with real ripe fruit but overall dry on the end. A little austere at this point. But in the middle there is palate weight. Apr 2016, www.JancisRobinson.com, Drink: 2024-2036
Score: 17-/20Jancis RobinsonDrinking Window: 2024-2036
The 2015 Le Petit Mouton opens with striking, expressive aromatics. Graphite, smoke, charcoal and blackberry jam are fused together in a deep, beautifully layered Pauillac. The 2015 is impressive from start to finish. This is an especially strong Petit Mouton endowed with real class. Tasted two times. Apr 2016, www.Vinous.com
Score: 90-93/100Antonio Galloni
By the standards of some second wines in 2015, this is a slight disappointment, showing a lot of oak, notes of chocolate and green pepper, firmish tannins and layers of ripe, dark fruits. Attractive enough, but not subtle. Apr 2016, www.timatkin.com, Drink: 2020-2026
Score: 91-/100Tim AtkinDrinking Window: 2020-2026
