A first growth in the 1855 Classification, Château Mouton Rothschild has a long and storied history; wine has been made here since Roman times.
The estate has been in the Rothschild family since 1853, but it wasn’t until the arrival of Baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1922 that its fortunes were transformed. Baron Philippe was a dynamic figure and revolutionised the estate. He was the first to introduce château-bottling, as early as 1924.
Baron Philippe also introduced the concept of commissioning an artist to design each new vintage’s label. Some of the most notable contributors include Salvador Dalí, Henry Moore, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Anish Kapoor.
His daughter Baroness Philippine continued to help raise Ch. Mouton Rothschild to new heights with numerous endeavours, including the inauguration of a new vat house in 2013.
Today, her three children, Philippe and Camille Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, continue the efforts of their predecessors.
Following the retirement in 2020 of Philippe Dhalluin, the winemaking team is now headed up by Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy. Danjoy, who was already in place as Director at Ch. Clerc Milon, brings with him considerable experience. He had also worked alongside Dhalluin for over a decade.
The estate, which spans 83 hectares of vines, is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (78%), Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%). The average age of the vines is around 45 years.
In style, the wines have immense appeal, with exotic, powerful aromas of cassis, minerals, tobacco leaf and graphite, backed by an opulence on the palate and impressive length on the finish. “Flamboyant” is a word sometimes used in tasting notes, and in comparative blind tastings this attribute is frequently what sets Mouton apart.
96+ Points Wine Advocate
A candidate for wine of the vintage, there are only 20,000 cases of the 2002 Mouton-Rothschild (there are 25,000 cases of the 2000). Made from low yields of 31 hectoliters per hectare, it is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The color may be the most saturated and opaque of any Medoc Cabernet-based 2002. It is a broad-flavored offering displaying tell-tale creme de cassis intermixed with smoke, cocoa, leather, and licorice. Still excruciatingly tannic, but incredibly dense, powerful, and rich, the phenolic measurements were nearly off the charts for this full-bodied, monster-sized Mouton. Given most Moutons’ track records, I suspect the 2002 will shut down after bottling, and perhaps need a minimum of 10-15 years to re-emerge. This is unquestionably a vin de garde for long-term cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2040
95 Points Decanter
Opulent yet restrained aromas which give the impression of ripeness. A sense of hedonism pervades here – and it’s very welcome too. Long and elegant with good depth of fruit, well woven tannins and a long, sensuous finish.