Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2017 tasting notes and ratings “en primeur” by Ronald Rens, M.Sc., Wine Master, Bordeaux Expert

I tasted the Mouton Rothschild at the chateau with Philippe Dhalluin

I tasted the Mouton Rothschild 2017 at the chateau with Philippe Dhalluin. With over 35 years of experience Dhalluin has seen it all. Ever modest, Philippe almost blushed when he told me that Mouton Rothschild hadn’t been touched by the frost at all. That is, for the red wines: “We used the Petit Verdot [a late ripening variety] for all three chateaux. They were perfectly ripe, so we were very lucky indeed.” From the look on his face I could see that he hinted at those producers who were not so lucky and were touched by the frost. Dhalluin decided to harvest early and started on 7 September. And three weeks later on September 29 the entire harvest was done, including the late-ripening Petit Verdot.

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2017 (18,5 points)
[81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc]

The Mouton Rothschild was my wine of the vintage in 2017

A deep dark concentrated color with some ruby and purple tinges. An interesting but rather shy nose with hints of liquorice and pepper. The wine shows very good ripe red and black fruit. A bit less powerful than the previous years but with a great balance. The Petit Mouton has found its rightful place between the excellent second wines of the First Growths.

Mouton Rothschild 2017 (20- points)
[90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot]

A deep intense ruby red color, way deeper than the Petit Mouton. The nose is rather shy at first but when it opens up it shows elegance and complexity with black fruit, pepper and black currant. I really like the style of this wine in this vintage. Keywords are elegance fruit, balance and freshness. No more jammy wines in the top-end of the Médoc wines. The refined tannins as a backbone will guarantee the ageing potential. The paradox here is that this full-bodied wine is surprisingly smooth and approachable but combines this with a great potential for the future. Definitely my favorite wine of the vintage.

Aile d’Argent 2017 (19,5 points)

Aile d’Argent 2017 (19,5 points) The white wine of Chateau Mouton Rothschild
[53% Sauvignon Blanc, 46% Semillon and 1% Muscadelle]

Pristine clear wine with some golden hints. A bit more color than usual. An incredibly expressive nose. This wine seems to want to jump out of the glass: Peach, tropical fruit, mango, citrus and even some hints of sweetness on the nose. In the mouth there is an avalanche of so many fruits. Great mid-palate. Buttery and a fattiness that makes you want to drink this wine now. An incredible length, especially considering we are in the heart of red-wine country here. One of the best Aile d’Argents I have ever tasted on futures!