JD
98
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Château Mouton Rothschild is based on 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, and it hit a relatively normal alcohol level of 13.5%, which is higher than the 2009 and shows the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon in the vintage. It shows the new, modern style of Bordeaux in its purity, elegance, and finesse while still being an incredibly concentrated Pauillac, and where some vintages of Mouton can just about jump out of the glass, this is a more seamless, streamlined, elegant beauty that builds with time in the glass and is just about impossible to fault. Gorgeous crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, forest floor, licorice, damp earth, and graphite, as well as some espresso nuances, emerge on the nose, and it's rich, medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This is pure haute couture in Bordeaux that unquestionably offers pleasure today (again, just about all modern Bordeaux from a great vintage offer pleasure in their youth) but will require a solid decade to hit maturity, and it should evolve for 20, 30, 40 years or more. This is not an unformed beast of wine that demands bottle age, and I suspect it will have a broad, forgiving drink window that consumers will love. Reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck, April 2022. Drinking window: 2032-2062.
RP
98
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
(Rating 98+) The 2019 Mouton Rothschild is the most dramatic of the Médoc first growths, soaring from the glass with aromas of cassis, blackberries and violets mingled with rich aromas of cedar, cigar wrapper, licorice, loamy soil and spices. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's deep and powerful, with huge levels of concentration and an ineffably complete, seamless profile, concluding with a long, resonant finish. Plenty of ripe tannin is hidden by its ample core of fruit, and despite its youthful polish, this will require plenty of bottle age to realize all its potential. This blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot tastes in many respects like the 2016 Mouton's more sun-kissed cousin. Reviewed by William Kelley, April 2022. Drinking window: 2035-2065.
Vinous
(Rating 96-98) The 2019 Mouton Rothschild comes off the back of a succession of
superlative wines that you would have to go back to the late Forties to see
again. Deep in colour, it has a very composed and refined bouquet: very pure
blackberry intermingling with bilberry and graphite, touches of Earl Grey and
crushed stone emerging after several minutes in the glass. The palate is
beautifully balanced with finely-chiseled tannins, a little spicier than the
previous vintage from barrel lost year, gently building and fanning out
towards the poised finish. This is a sophisticated, classic Mouton-Rothschild
that will require a little more cellaring than some recent vintages, but will
surely be worth the wait. Reviewed by Neal Martin, May 2020. Drinking window: 2027-2060.