This is a very powerful Petit Mouton with so much rich fruit and power. Full-bodied, tannic yet polished and long. Muscular for the second wine of Mouton.
95-96 points
Deep colour. Plum confit, vanilla aromas with a touch of herb garden. Inky textured wine with dark plum, mulberry, dark cherry fruits, fine looseknit slightly bitter tannins, attractive mid-palate richness, vanilla, grilled nut notes. Oaky tannin finish. Still elemental but all in balance. Tasted at Ch Mouton Rothschild.
94 points
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Solid, muscular nose. Almost a bitter streak on the end it's so firm! Lots of black fruits and real juiciness. Some lift and life. A very zesty wine with admirable length. But not heavy on the flesh!
17/20 points
The 2016 Le Petit Mouton is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc; it will be matured in 45% new oak, a little lower than in previous year (it used to be 60%). It has around 13.3% alcohol. It has a clean and precise bouquet with black berry, pencil shavings, crushed violet and a touch of oyster shell. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and ripe tannin, very harmonious and blessed with a satin-like texture. It is a more understated Le Petit Mouton, but you almost miss the precision and detail, the mineralité on the linear finish. This has great potential thanks to the sheer quality of the tannins here.
92-94 points
The 2016 Le Petit-Mouton is exceptional. In another era in Bordeaux's history, it could undoubtedly have been a Grand Vin -- it is every bit that outstanding. The volume, depth and density here are truly remarkable. Sweet spice and floral notes develop on the finish, but it is the wine's sense of balance and poise that is most remarkable. Le Petit-Mouton is also without question one of the two or three best second wines of the vintage. Don't miss it.
91-94 points
"The 2016 Le Petit-Mouton has a classic blackberry, graphite and smoke bouquet that perhaps feels a little stricter than it did out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure black fruit and a precise, quite minerally finish that is pure class. This might be the best Le Petit Mouton since it debuted in 1993. 2022-2040"
93 Points, Vinous
"Deep and dark berry aromas with a center of cedar and tobacco. Full-bodied, tannic and rich with a solid backbone and excellent structure. Plenty of fruit and flavor. It goes on for minutes. One hell of a second wine for Mouton. Try after 2025."
95 Points, JamesSuckling.com
Pauillac is Bordeaux’s most acclaimed appellation, the only one with three Premier Cru properties: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Latour. These and other Pauillac chateaux produce robust, full-flavored and long-lived red wines made from Cabernet-based blends. Though winemaking techniques and microclimates vary throughout Pauillac, producing some variations in style, classic Pauillac wines have juicy flavours of blackcurrant and cedar, often with coffee, chocolate and graphite notes. Pauillac, part of the Médoc region on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, has gravelly and well-drained soils that force vines to grow long and strong roots. Struggling a bit for water, the vines produce grapes with high tannins and concentrated juices. Nearby rivers and the Atlantic Ocean modulate temperatures, preventing the grapes from ripening too quickly. Such grapes make powerful wines that may age and improve for decades. However, in Pauillac, as in other old-world wine regions, some winemakers are working to develop softer red wines that maintain the local wines’ traditional substance and flavours, but are more approachable immediately upon release.
