Mathusalem Castle Mouton Rothschild

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Mouton-Rothschild showed magnificently (as it subsequently did in a vertical just a few weeks later). It has an open, intense bouquet with pencil lead and cedar infusing the black fruit, tertiary in style at first but then transforming with aeration to a more marine-influenced bouquet—seaweed and iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe blackberry and boysenberry fruit. The tannins are ripe and fine, the acidity very well judged with a velvety, detailed finish that lingers long in the mouth. Density and harmony combine to make a stunning Mouton-Rothschild that should be afforded 15 years in bottle. It might be destined to be one of those wines forever eclipsed by recent outstanding vintages. Tasted January 2016.

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2015

As for the 2012 Mouton Rothschild, one can’t help but love the artist’s label, in this case done by Miquel Barceló, of two rams fighting for superiority. Representing only 49% of the crop, this blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc has an inky bluish/purple color, which is far darker than its nearby neighbor, Lafite Rothschild, or even Pontet-Canet. Multi-layered, with rich, concentrated, crème de cassis fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and stunning purity, this is a major success in 2012. Definitely a bigger, richer wine than rival Lafite Rothschild, Mouton’s 2012 seems to have more density as well. The tannins, however, remain soft and well-integrated. This wine should drink well for 25-30 years and is somewhat of a sleeper for a 2012 first-growth Médoc.

Jamessuckling.com

97 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2015

What a nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, minerals and graphite. Full-bodied, extremely fine and polished. Sexy and ethereal. Harmony. A little salty. Fabulous 2012. Pure silk. Better after 2020 but so wonderful now.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/10/2015

This has a stunningly pure core of plum, black currant and black cherry fruit, with supple yet long structure that has melded wonderfully already. Anise, violet and cassis notes pour in on the finish. The fruit makes it seem almost too easy, but this will cellar well thanks to outstanding balance. A huge but very stylish wine. Best from 2018 through 2030. –JM

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe12/30/2014

The 2012 Mouton-Rothschild has turned out well. Primarily all Cabernet Sauvignon, it exhibits a dense blue/purple color as well as lots of crème de cassis, incense and forest floor. Full-bodied and dense with sweet tannin, it is a surprisingly successful wine for this vintage. Give it another 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following three decades.

timatkin.com

95 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2013

As it often is, this is the richest and showiest of the first growths at this early stage. Made in the château’s new chai for the first time, giving Mouton the ability to vinify “micro plots”, this is a rich, plush Pauillac that’s built to last, with lots of aromatic blackberry fruit, sweet oak and a powerful, satisfying finish. Much more concentrated than Lafite and Latour, with riper fruit flavours. Drink: 2022-45

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

92-94 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2013

(90% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot and 2% cabernet franc): Deep ruby. Perfumed nose of red berries, cassis, flint, vanilla and peppery spices. Then fresh, juicy and suave in the mouth, with flavors of cassis, sweet cocoa and vanilla and a surprisingly fleshy, almost opulent texture for the vintage. Finishes very long, with smooth tannins and lingering ripe black cherry, vanilla and mocha nuances. One of the top ten wines of the vintage. Given the quality of Armailhac and Clerc Milon--and a good Le Petit Mouton too--I believe that general director Philippe Dhalluin has come up with THE best overall performance of the 2012 vintage.

Le Point

17,5-18 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/16/2013

Fruits noirs, cerise, fumée, bouche ample, large, tanins fins, gourmands, juteux, tanins serrés en finale, beau fruit, cerise et mûre, velouté, élégant, long. Très joli Mouton plus sur les saveurs de fruits que 2006, ancien grand millésime de Mouton, lui davantage sur la structure. O= 2018 G= 15 ans.

Asian Palate

93 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/15/2013

The nose on this Mouton is lifted and fresh with a mix of red and black fruits, violets and wonderful velvety texture. Delicately layered with finesse and a light touch - this wine is not extracted nor heavy and follows the personality of this light vintage. Elegant, relatively early drinking style but the freshness and tannins suggest the wine will age well for a few decades easily.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/2/2013

Tasted twice en primeur at Mouton-Rothschild. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot harvested from 1st October and finished on 15th October, with the best Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 8th and 12th October. This is the first vintage in the new facility – now there are 56 instead of 28 vats to make the selection. We can vinify plots that have never been vinified in isolation before. It has a very “classic” Mouton bouquet with small black cherries, blackberry, graphite and hints of vanilla lending it sweetness. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, quite supple tannins. It is a very “correct” Mouton, without the flamboyance of the 2009 or 2010, but showing a little more delineation on the finish compared to the 2011. The aftertaste is long in the mouth with fine minerality – here we find the class and sophistication. This is an impressive, “stately” Mouton. Tasted April 2013.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/30/2013

Shows lovely purity, with a bolt of cassis coming to prominence right from the get-go, accented by flashes of plum, briar and blackberry paste. A flicker of anise, sweet spice and singed wood hangs on the finish for now, but should be absorbed soon enough. A more graceful Mouton than the battleships of '09 and '10, but this wine still displays breed and terroir in a tricky year. A faint chalky thread chimes in on the finish. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

matthewjukes.com

19 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/30/2013

With a perfect fragrance and stunning linear form this is a sublime Mouton with epic balance.

My Bettane + Desseauve

18,5 / 20

the4/27/2013

Admirable texture de cabernet, saveur de raisin mûr et parfaitement respecté, allonge très noble, totalement séducteur, tout ce qu’on attend de ce terroir magique et un modèle de précision dans l’extraction du tannin et la prise de bois. Vin de référence dans le millésime.

My Bettane + Desseauve

17-17,5 / 20

the4/26/2013

Boisé précis, ampleur soyeuse, intensité fruitée, racée et profondeur, allonge brillante.

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/26/2013

The intensely ripe Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the plateau at Mouton has produced an inky/purple-colored wine with the famous Mouton creme de cassis and floral characteristics vividly displayed. For the first time in a number of years they appear to have outdistanced their cross street rival, the biodynamically farmed Chateau Pontet Canet of Alfred Tesseron. Wonderfully sweet tannins envelop the enormous fruit and extravagant richness of this full-bodied Mouton Rothschild. With profound density as well as surprisingly sweet tannin, this terrific effort will probably shut down slightly and require 5-8 years of cellaring after bottling. It appears to have 30 or more years of aging potential, making it potentially one of the 3 or 4 longest-lived wines of the vintage.

Mouton Rothschild has produced one of the vintage-s most profound wines in 2012, and possibly the -wine of the Medoc.- About 49% of the production made it into the 2012 Mouton, which is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The harvest took place during the middle two weeks of October. This may be one of the few 2012s that comes close to equaling what was achieved in both 2009 and 2010, two far superior vintages.
Drink: 2018 - 2048

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-95 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/26/2013

2012 marks the debut vintage utilizing the new facilities at Mouton Rothschild. Blending 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.2% alcohol. Stone, cedar, tobacco, cassis, orange liqueur, slate and fresh herbs create the perfume. The wine is structured, refined, masculine and tannic. The tannins are ripe, powerful and strong, giving the structure to age for patient consumers. This is quite nice for the vintage. 94-95 Pts

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17,3 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/25/2013

Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez fruité, fumé, mûr et suave. Très belle entrée en bouche savoureuse où le vin se développe immédiatement dense et puissant avec un goût. À partir du milieu la structure se serre et le vin évolue étonnamment suave, savoureux et fin vers une belle finale complexe et tannique mais toujours enveloppée et noble. C’est superbe. Un Mouton particulièrement gourmand. L’usage d’un nouveau cuvier avec 56 cuves au lieu de 28 a probablement induit cette nouvelle précision. Rendement : 36 hectolitres à l’hectare. Sélection : 49 % de grand vin et 34 % de second vin. Degré d’alcool : 13.1. IPT : 80. pH : 3.85. Assemblage : 90 % cabernet sauvignon et 10 % merlot. Une belle réussite.

Jancis Robinson

18 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/24/2013

Drink 2022-2040
Very dark crimson. Restrained nose. Grown-up and very much a first growth. Rich, sweet and well balanced though without real pzazz. Correct and sensitive. Fine and refined. Measured, I'd say, is the keyword. Acidity lightly in evidence. A palate scrub. Correct rather than mind-blowing. (18- points)

Decanter.com

18,5 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/22/2013

Wonderful expression of "patrician" black fruits, the expected exotic seduction of Mouton, perfect blend of power and elegance. 18.5/20pts ( 95/100pts)
Drink: 2017 - 2035

Jamessuckling.com

94-95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/4/2013

Wonderful beauty to this wine with currants, blackberries and flowers. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a long, long finish. Creamy texture with a minerally, almost salty undertone to the wine. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.