Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2019

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild is one of the best-value Second Wines on the market. It allows oenophiles to experience the sensuous winemaking style of the famed First Growth, Château Mouton Rothschild, without years of aging, which is usually required of a grand vin.

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.").

"Composed of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot, harvested from the 18th of September to the 5th of October, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2019 Le Petit Mouton charges out of the glass with gregarious scents of baked black cherries, plum preserves and blackcurrant cordial followed by hints of cumin seed, candied violets and licorice with a waft of dried Provence herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate has a real skip in its step, offering fresh, cheery black berry flavors and a grainy texture, supported by oodles of freshness, finishing long with invigorating spice and herbal sparks." - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (6/2020), Ratings: 92-94

"The 2019 Le Petit Mouton is notably serious this year, offering up a rich bouquet of minty berries, cherries, licorice and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a generous core of fruit, youthfully chewy tannins and a long, sapid finish, it will reward a bit of bottle age.

“The grand vin has 90% Cabernet Sauvignon this year—among the highest percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon ever used—with less Merlot, just 9% Merlot,” technical director Philippe Dhalluin told me. “The Merlot was very good, maybe the best since 2010, but the Cabernet Sauvignon was just too good. We build the blends of Mouton and Petit Mouton together. This year they are very different styles. Generally, Petit Mouton comes from the border of this plot of excellence we use for the Mouton. But this year is different—more of this good Merlot. The biggest difference in the styles is the tannins, Petit Mouton’s are usually not as refined. The plateau of Carruades gives such an excellent style of tannins to Mouton!”

Mouton’s grand vin is unquestionably one of the wine’s of the vintage, but I was surprised by the high quality of the estate’s dry white wine. Usually, great red wine years do not make such impressive whites. “Aile d’Argent for us was such a great surprise this year,” Dhalluin agreed with me. “In the end, the Semillon was such excellent quality. There’s a hint of exotic Muscat character in there. Really, it is an excellent vintage for this wine too—usually, odd vintages produce exceptional characters in Aile d’Argent!”

Mouton Rothschild has produced a great 2019, and the estate certainly isn't resting on its laurels. Mouton now hosts its very own research-and-development department, with its own experimental winery, and all sorts of projects are underway. In the vineyards, canopy management is being adapted on a site-by-site basis, with higher or lower hedging depending on the soils' hydrological profile; cover crops are increasingly part of the estate's strategy; drainage is being optimized in certain parcels; and a massale selection program, housed in an in-house nursery, has been launched. In the winery, the parcel-by-parcel approach continues; and I'm sure that new head winemaker Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, who did such great work at Clerc Milon, will only bring further refinement and attention to detail to an already meticulous process. This reviewer will certainly be following with interest." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/7/2022) Ratings: 92, Drink: 2025-2045

 "The second wine of the château, the 2019 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild checks in as 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. It's a gem of a second wine and offers a classic Pauillac style as well as medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. It tastes far from a second wine, with loads of crème de cassis, shaved cedar pencil, green tobacco, and a touch of minerality. It tastes like a mini-Mouton, and in truth, not too min." -Jeb dunnuck, Rating: 93-95