Château Mouton Rothschild 2018

Wineadvocate

The 2018 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc—there is also a splash of all the Petit Verdot they had, but it doesn’t even register in the percentage. It has 13.8% alcohol, which is relatively modest for the vintage. Deep garnet-purple colored, it straight away pops with bright, vivacious notes of crushed blackcurrants, juicy blackberries and redcurrant jelly with slowly emerging nuances of candied violets, stewed plums, licorice and black tea, plus a waft of dusty red soil. The medium-bodied palate is built like a brick house with super firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing long and savory with lingering mineral suggestions. This is so, so delicious and, due to the ripeness of tannins, approachable now. It will be difficult to keep your mitts off it for a good 5-7 years, when all those tightly tucked away nuances should begin to emerge. After that, it should improve over the course of 25 years or more and drink for 40+. LP-B March 2021

Vinous

The 2018 Mouton-Rothschild needed 2–3 hours before I began composing a single word. Eventually it unfolds with the same aromatics that I observed out of barrel: extraordinarily pure blackberry, blueberry, pressed violet petals and potpourri. It still has the alluring Margaux-like florality. The palate is medium-bodied with filigreed tannins, disarmingly satin-like texture and wonderful cohesion. This is a sophisticated Mouton-Rothschild that is maybe less ostentatious than other recent vintages, but well aware of its class and breeding; it knows that there is no need to show off. The precision on the finish is riveting. Assessing it over many hours to plot its evolution, I wager that this First Growth may well drink earlier than I anticipated, so give it 5–6 years in bottle. Chapeau to retired winemaker Philippe Dhalluin and his team. NM March 2021

Beck

Que de grâce et de puissance dans ce bouquet qui annonce d’entrée un grand vin. Beaucoup de fruits noirs, de notes lactiques, de sureau et de fraîcheur grâce à des nuances de menthe. La mise en bouche est dense, élégante, puissante mais également suave. Les tannins, eux, se révèlent petit à petit, avec beaucoup de précision pour atteindre leur amplitude en fin de bouche. Ils sont suaves, charnus et affichent une belle finesse de grains. Finale intense, d’une exceptionnelle persistance. Ce Mouton offre un grand potentiel et il rentre clairement dans la cour des très grands Moutons avec un charme qui évoque le millésime 1982. - 12/2020

Suckling

20 Jan, 2021 – Exquisite purity of blackcurrants, raspberries and some citrus. The aromas flow from the glass. Full-bodied with seamless tannins that coat the palate and then fall into the center, to deliver a thoroughly refined and harmonious young red. Endless finish. 86% cabernet sauvignon. This is the new 1959, one of the legendary vintages of Mouton. Try after 2026.

Dunnuck

Coming from a selection of 76% of the total production, the 2018 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up all in new French oak. This dense purple-hued effort has a backward, primordial bouquet of pure crème de cassis, scorched earth, burning embers, and graphite. There are hints of classic Pauillac tobacco and lead pencil, but it's locked and loaded at this point. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, it has lots of tannins, a good spine of acidity, and a great finish. It doesn't have the sexy opulence of the 2015 and 2016 yet has more minerality, and I suspect it's every bit as concentrated. A solid decade of bottle age is going to be warranted, and this powerful, concentrated Mouton is going to evolve for longer than most of us reading this will be alive. - 11/2021