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Goedhuis, April 2016, Score: 94-96
A striking Cabernet based wine (82%) with 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this delicious 2015 shows why Mouton is the hot ticket right now. Striking smoky black fruit aromas, this is full of chocolate, liquorice and dark currants in the palate. The lively freshness in the mid-palate supports the layered cassis flavours to give length and true appeal.
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Neal Martin, July 2019, Score: 95
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. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.
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Neal Martin, April 2016, Score: 97-99
The 2015 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc matured entirely in new oak, as usual. This represents a relatively high percentage of Merlot simply because, as winemaker Philippe Dhalluin told me, that quality was so good. I afforded my sample four to five minutes to open as it was a little reduced at first, but eventually it reveals a gorgeous, extraordinarily intense bouquet of blackberry, cassis, incense and cold slate aromas. In some ways it reminds me of Latour as much as Mouton Rothschild. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin, perfectly pitched acidity, wonderful tension and impressive length. There is a strong graphite theme running through from start to finish that is little grainy and so it will require preferably a decade in cellar. But what freshness and panache here, a classic Mouton-Rothschild that will live for 50 or 60 years, not a million miles away from say, the 1986 or 2010. Expect this to settle at the top of my banded score once in bottle.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2016, Score: 94-97
A bold, dramatic wine, the 2015 Mouton-Rothschild sweeps across the palate with remarkable depth. Seemingly endless layers seem to open as the 2015 fills out its broad, ample frame. The tannins are silky and creamy, which give the 2015 much of its voluptuous, inviting personality, while the finish is both remarkably vivid and persistent. This is an especially dark, powerful Mouton. In 2015, harvest stretched from September 14 to October 2, a few days longer than normal. The blend is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Tasted two times.
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Robert Parker, Feb 2018, Score: 98/100
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 colored, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, crème 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. Possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting, this 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention. Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years. Lisa Perrotti Brown Score 98/100 Drink Dates 2025-2055
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Robert Parker, Feb 2018, Score: 98/100
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 colored, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, crème 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. Possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting, this 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention. Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years. Lisa Perrotti Brown Score 98/100 Drink Dates 2025-2055
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James Suckling, April 2016, Score: 96-97
Very racy and refined with super polished tannins and focused dark fruits. Blackberry, orange peel, and black currants. Full. Very long and through provoking. A wine that delivers power and finesse. Juicy and fresh.
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Decanter, April 2016, Score: 98
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.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2016, Score: 18.5+
(82 Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 Merlot, 2 Cabernet Franc) | 13.3% alc.
With almost exactly the same blend as last year’s wine you couldn’t have two more polar opposite flavours. Dark, choc¬olaty, luxurious and indulgent this is a forward, alluring Mouton with flamboyance and exoticism in equal measure. I love the daring fruit and stunning concentration even though this is not a particularly tannic or weighty wine. Stunning and very attractive, I cannot take my eyes off this wine and it will amaze drinkers from a fairly early age for a quarter of a decade.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2016, Score: 19
82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 57% of the crop.
Very majestic nose. Obviously first-growth quality. Savoury and plush in terms of texture. Restrained without being a wimp. Lovely scent. Dry finish but with some of Mouton's opulence before then. Very fine. Very exciting. Some saline sap as well as all the ripe fruit.
Drink 2025-2045
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Tim Atkin, May 2016, Score: 94
Is this one of the wines of the vintage? It all depends on whether you like the Napa-esque Mouton style, which is every bit as recognisable as that of Lafite (at the other extreme in 2015). This is a big, bold, concentrated wine, with toasty, 100% new oak and plush, compact tannins and succulent fruit flavours. Impressive, but how will it age? We shall see. Drink: 2025-35
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