24 Jun 2021

Château Mouton-Rothschild is the final First Growth to release its 2020 wines en primeur this year, with potential 98-point scores from several critics, and 99 and 100 points from Lisa Perotti-Brown MW and James Suckling respectively. 

Perotti-Brown captures the essence of this vintage, saying it has a "gently teasing, achingly beautiful restraint that collectors are not going to want to miss".  Her drinking window also reaches almost into the 2070s...a wine for futurologists as well as collectors!  

The 2020 is the first vintage to be made under Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, Mouton's new estate manager, who takes over from Philippe Dhalluin, retiring after fifteen years.  Several of the critics note a more cerebral style, which will take some years to evolve, with Jane Anson suggesting that it "Could go to 100 points after ageing."

Alongside the grand vin, Mouton's rare white wine Aile d'Argent is also released.  From a tiny plot of white grapevines planted in the 1980s, this latest vintage also has a more linear, focused feel than previously.

 

Bordeaux En Primeur, landing in spring 2023

To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk

 

See Jean-Emmanuele Danjoy and Philippe de Serys Rothschild introduce the 2020 vintage:

 

Producer Profile

Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac

Château Mouton-Rothschild is a Premier Cru Classé estate in the commune of Pauillac.  Unlike Lafite and Latour, Mouton was not rated as a first growth in the 1855 Classification.  After establishing itself in the early nineteenth century, an ill-timed bad patch in the 1840s probably cost it that accolade and it was not until 1973 that it was upgraded to first growth. 

This was largely due to the work of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who had taken over in 1922.  He also introduced château bottling at Mouton in 1924 (which subsequently became key to quality across the Grand Crus Classé) as well as the artist-designed labels from 1945.  Artists including Miró, Chagall, Braque, Picasso, Francis Bacon, Dali, Jeff Koons and Prince Charles have all contributed labels.

The vineyard consists of 90 hectares on the “Plateau de Mouton” which rises 27m above sea-level, on very deep gravelly soils, planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (81%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%).