Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2003

Château Mouton Rothschild 1eme Cru Classé Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2003 

Grapes: A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, 84ha vineyard on deep gravel soil, average 44 year old vines, Yield 28hl/ha, hand harvested, aged 18 months in new French oak barrels

Producer Tasting Note:

The wine has a beautifully intense, garnet hue and a highly refined nose, rather typical of Cabernet, on aromas of blackcurrant and cedarwood along with caramel and stewed fruit. The attack is lush, the palate rich, on stylish, well-rounded tannins; fruit flavours rub shoulders with spice, Havana cigar and eucalyptus. The finish is very expressive, long and powerful, harmonious and silky. Mouton Rothschild 2003 is one of the great successes of recent years.

Herve Berland feels that this is an exceptional Mouton, comparable with 1982. Prune like richness and concentration married with exotic spiciness. Brooding and powerful building to a long finish. 

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"This massive Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. A formidable black/purple to the rim, the wine offers up a tight but promising nose of scorched earth, creme de cassis, licorice, and charcoal notes followed by meaty, powerful, unctuous flavors that are huge, dense, tannic, and backward. Last year I thought it was somewhat similar to the 1982, and after nine months of barrel-aging, I have begun thinking of a hypothetical blend of both the 1982 and 1986. Incredibly different from the Lafite-Rothschild, which is so unctuous and plush, this is muscular, backward, and just humongous in size, a true giant from Pauillac. But prospective purchasers be forewarned - patience will be a virtue. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050."

(95-96)/100 points, Robert M. Parker Jr., WINE ADVOCATE, April 2005

"Cigar box, jammy black raspberry, mint, ash, tobacco, cedar wood, cloves, cinnamon and wet forest floor notes start the fireworks. On the palate, the rich, sensuous, flamboyant, showy wine is a hedonistic treat for the senses from start to finish."

96/100 points, Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider, December 2013