2011 Mouton Rothschild
By Chateau Mouton Rothschild
2011 Mouton Rothschild from Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux
The 2011 vintage from the illustrious Chateau Mouton Rothschild is a testament to the resilience and expertise behind one of Bordeaux's first-growths. This particular year was not without its challenges; erratic weather patterns posed a threat to the consistency that devotees of Pauillac have come to expect. However, the astuteness of Mouton’s winemaking team turned potential adversity into an elegant narrative of triumph.
A Study in Balance and Complexity
In scrutinising the 2011 Mouton Rothschild, one becomes acutely aware of how crisis often breeds innovation and, ultimately, beauty in viticulture. As a wine investment prospect, this vintage entices with its blend of rigorously selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The precision in vinification and judicious use of new oak have crafted a wine that pleads for contemplative exploration over years to come.
The Terroir's Whisper
With such a variable climate during the 2011 season in Pauillac, it takes a palate honed on the subtleties of terroir to really understand what was achieved here. The 2011 Mouton Rothschild demonstrates a concerted effort to maintain the estate's profile amidst meteorological caprice. There is an engaging dichotomy at play; on one hand, the wine offers ripe blackcurrant and cherry nuances while carrying an undercurrent of earthy minerality - a whisper from the gravelly terroir that defines this storied chateau.
Indeed, for enthusiasts keen on parsing out the variations year on year, this vintage reveals how Chateau Mouton Rothschild's precise vineyard temporalities can articulate a distinguished narrative. Its full-bodied presence, nuanced by firm tannins and vivacious acidity, seems to unfold with air — an articulation of both grape and ground during a challenging year.
As one decants this chapter from Pauillac's hallowed grounds, let us reflect upon its investment allure – the 2011 Mouton Rothschild represents not just a favourable addition but also an intriguing case study in vintage variation and tenacity. Its symphonic interplay between fruit depth and structural acuity has been orchestrated deftly through adversity; thus emerges a collectable whose tale is as compelling as its taste.
Market price (GBP)
£4,190.00
12x75cl
Highest score
96
POP score
261.88
Scores and tasting notes
This shows lots of opulent aromas of ripe fruit, light toasted oak, walnut and dried meat. It’s full-bodied, with chewy tannins and plenty of fruit. A muscular, solid wine. Baby 1986. Try in 2020.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, January 28th 2014
Tasted twice, two weeks apart at the property. The 2011 is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc (the first time it has been blended since 2005) and cropped at 30.1hl/ha. It has a tightly wound Cabernet nose with graphite and cedar aromas, blackberry and a touch of cassis. Leaving the glass to one side, there is fine minerality and delineation here. The palate is very composed on the entry with supple tannins that are a little thicker and more saturated than Lafite. This has very good density, more like Latour than Lafite and a silver thread of acidity (pH 3.8). It has superb precision and tension on the finish that does not quite possess the persistency that a great vintage would have given. But this is still very impressive: a quintessential Mouton that may warrant a higher mark after bottling. Tasted April 2012.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal May 2012
The evolved, fresh, mid-weight 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is charming and complete. It is an over-achieving effort in a challenging vintage with supple tannins, notes of cedarwood, forest floor, underbrush, licorice, graphite and red and blackcurrants. Medium-bodied, lush and sexy, it can be consumed over the next 10-15+ years.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #212 Apr 2014
Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is probably the "weakest" of the releases between 2008 and 2012, although that would be unfairly disparaging what is a perfectly respectable, if rather unexciting Mouton. Here, it has those graphite and cedar aromas present and correct, the former a little more accentuated and with a light sea-spray note emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with cedar and a slight peat-like note infusing the black fruit, rigid in its youth but nicely delineated. As I discerned out of barrel, what it lacks is that peacock's tail on the finish, bolting out of the exit door before you have really got to know each other. Tasted April 2016.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 31 January 2017