Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2012

A superb Pauillac wine combining finesse and precision

The property

It was in 1853 that Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired Château Brane-Mouton at auction. The property, located in the heart of the Médoc, in Pauillac, was then renamed Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild took over the reins of the property. A visionary, he decided to initiate in 1924 the complete bottling at the château while entrusting the illustration of the wine label to an artist. Every year since 1945, the label of Château Mouton Rothschild is illustrated by the original work of a great contemporary artist. Dalí, César, Miró, Chagall, Warhol, Soulages, Bacon, Balthus, Tàpies, Koons, Doig... an exciting collection that grows each year with a new work and constitutes the famous exhibition "Art and Label". Emblem of the Pauillac appellation, this Premier Cru Classé makes the great wines of Bordeaux shine throughout the world. Today, the three children of Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Camille and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild preside over the destiny of Château Mouton Rothschild.

The vineyard

Château Mouton Rothschild is a Pauillac wine from a vineyard of 82 hectares located northwest of Bordeaux, in the Médoc. The vines, with an average age of 50 years, are planted on pebbly gravel soils that capture heat and release it during the night, thus promoting the ripening of the grapes. These draining soils rest on a clay-gravel subsoil, giving the wines of Château Mouton Rothschild a unique power, elegance, and tannic structure.

The label

To illustrate the 2012 vintage, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild personally chose the Catalan artist Miguel Barceló. Born in 1957, this painter and sculptor explores a universe combining realism and dreaminess, carried by intense colors and striking textures thanks to his mixed techniques and innovative materials. For this work, Barceló reinterprets the historic emblem of the château: two symmetrical and opposing rams. These powerful figures symbolize the balance and harmony of a great wine, a legacy offered by nature but perpetually enhanced by the know-how and work of men.

The vintage

A particularly cold and dry winter precedes a cool and contrasted spring. The summer is marked both by an exceptional drought from July 20 to September 20 promoting an increased concentration in sugar and tannin, and an August recognized as the 5th driest August of the past fifty years.

This 2012 vintage inaugurates, after nearly three years of work, the new vat room of the property.

Blend

Cabernet sauvignon (90%)
Merlot (8%)
Cabernet franc (2%)

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Mouton Rothschild 2012

Tasting

Color
Dense and almost black in hue, the color is enhanced by subtle shiny reflections.

Nose
The nose combines nobility, elegance, and complexity. Opening on fruity fragrances (black fruits with aromas of blackcurrant, crushed blackberries), the bouquet gains in complexity as it breathes, through notes evoking a cigar box and spices.

Palate
A full and fleshy attack gives way to a dense palate with enveloping tannins. The palate combines cocoa and vanilla flavors up to a seductive finish of freshness, aromatic intensity, and minerality.