Château Mouton Rothschild 2023

Mouton, along with Lafite and Latour, was once part of the domain of the Marquis Nicholas-Alexandre de Ségur, who was known as "the prince of vines" at the French court during his time. In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired Mouton. Two years later, Château Mouton was ranked as a Second Growth during the original Official 1855 Classification. 

In 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild took over the estate management at the age of 20. The Baron was a Grand Prix racecar driver, a screenwriter, a playwright, a theatrical producer, a poet, and one of the most successful winegrowers in Bordeaux.  He also happened to be an enormous personality, and would later refer to Château Mouton Rothschild's Second Growth Classification as a, “monstrous injustice.” It was the Baron's lifelong crusade to prove that Mouton Rothschild deserved the First Growth designation. As a form of protest, he added the statement to the wine label: Premier ne puis, second ne daigne, Mouton suis (“First I cannot be.  Second I do not deign to be.  Mouton, I am.”).

After decades of relentless lobbying (for the Official 1855 Classification not only required peer acknowledgment but also demanded a French government agency's sign-off), Château Mouton Rothschild earned its proper designation as a Premier Cru Classé – or a First Growth - in 1973.

The grounds of Mouton Rothschild consist of 90 hectares of vines sandwiched by the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean.  Plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and even some white varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle can be found here.  The 42-year-old vines are planted close to the Gironde, which irrigates them and moderates the surrounding temperature.  The vineyards are heavily graveled and gently sloped, filled with vines that produce flamboyant yet powerful wines.

The case of Château Mouton Rothschild is a unique one. These wines are estate-grown, picked by hand, produced at the chateau, and known for their exotically opulent style.  The Baron was also one of the early property owners to insist on estate bottling, a practice that has become the standard since the 1920s.  Many members of the Rothschild family delegate their free time to creative pursuits like writing, directing, and acting when not managing the vineyards.  This creativity that flows abundantly within the family veins lends an understanding that winemaking is an art form, and since 1945, each bottle of Mouton Rothschild has a special label created by a famous artist under the commission of the chateau.  The labels themselves are worthy of a collector, featuring - but not limited to – the works of Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol.   When purchasing a bottle of Mouton Rothschild, one purchases a work of art.

The spirit of Mouton Rothschild is one of relentless determination and creativity.  No wonder their best wines possess a brawny decadence that borders upon ostentatiousness.  For the Rothschilds, being “second best” is not an option.  It is no wonder the phrase on each bottle now is: Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change ("I am first. I used to be second.  Mouton does not change.").

The wine is a glittering, gleaming garnet red with a crimson hue. Refinement and precision are apparent from the outset, with aromas of fully ripe black berry fruit. Discreet and complementary touches of pastry-shop, candy and dark chocolate offer a harmonious balance between freshness and opulence. Smooth and full-bodied, its powerful, stylish and harmoniously integrated tannins impart an attractive energy. Lead pencil and smoky, charry notes confer remarkable complexity and depth, while hints of toasted hazelnut and cocoa-bean linger long on the finish.

Varietal Mix

93% Cabernet Sauvignon

7% Merlot

(Alcohol: 13.3%)

"High Cabernet, and the grape is dominant not just in blend but character, totally delicious, with tension, flesh, and confidence, building layers of black fruits, graphite, cocoa bean, espresso, pomegranate and smoked earth throughout the palate. When Cabernet works at Mouton, it is hard to beat, and it's on full display in 2023. One of my clear wines of the vintage. Of any vintage. 100% new oak for ageing. 40% grand vin, harvest September 7 to 30." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, (04/15/2024), Ratings: 98-100, Drink: 2033-2050

"The 2023 Mouton Rothschild is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintages on the Left Bank. Its balance of intense, super-concentrated fruit and equally imposing structure is spellbinding. Dark red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, pencil shavings and dried herbs gain intensity in the glass. I especially admire its vertical build and overall energy. This is an exciting young Mouton endowed with palpable dynamic energy. It's a superb effort from the team led by Technical Director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (04/30/2024), Ratings: 96-99

"Pulled from just 40% of the production, the 2023 Château Mouton Rothschild is based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot that will see 18 months in new barrels. Tasting like the blood of Cabernet with its smoky red, black, and blue fruits, tobacco leaf, graphite, and cedar-driven aromatics, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a pure, polished, layered mouthfeel, beautiful concentration, and ripe, velvety tannins. Not the massive style of the 2022, it’s more in line with the 2016. This rich, elegant, seamless 2023 will need a decade to hit its prime." - Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2023 En Primeur, (05/08/2024), Ratings: 96-98 

''Aromas of crème de cassis and dark berries mingled with pencil shaving, espresso roast and violets introduce the 2023 Mouton Rothschild, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine with a creamy core of ripe but lively fruit, sweet tannins and an expansive finish. In terms of parcels, the 2023 is quite different in origins from the 2022, favoring plots that are better-drained rather than those resistant to drought. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, without either Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot featuring in the blend, and it attained 13.3% alcohol.'' - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, (04/26/2024), Ratings: 94-96